Enter Juliet
by FBI Bones
Summary: “Nice one Romeo, I think you just blew the catch of the year” “Try the century” Teenfik. AU
1. First Impressions

_Disclaimer: Not mine, you know that I know that but everyone can pretend once in a while right?_

_Summary: "Nice one Romeo, I think you just blew the catch of the year" "Try the century"_

_Author's Notes: As some of you may know I was rather dubious about writing this never mind posting it. Teen fiks aren't really my thing, I'll read them but mostly only in the Buffy fandom with the LA gang and Angel and Spike human and in school as well… meh I'm rambling. Then I got inspired to right this by a song I was listening to that I will be using at some point in this fik. _

_So here you are. AU obviously as we all know that half of what's gonna happen here (if not all of it) never happened. I will try and keep everyone as in character as possible but there may well be some… I'll try._

_I don't know anything about Booth's family but I decided to make it up so just go with it. His parents I have named… James or 'Jim' and Diana or 'Di' they're just nice names and I think his parents would be nice people so…_

_IMPORTANT: Mack Winters, if you have read anything leading on from Flick of the Switch you will know who he is. For those who don't, he's a character of my own making, a FBI agent that is also a friend of Booth's. Personally I really like him and so I decided to use him in most of my other Bones fictions as well. You do NOT need to have read any of my other fanfictions to understand this. Oh and (obviously) in this he isn't an agent, he's the same age as Booth._

_**A special thanks to butterflygoodbye without whom I could never have written this**_

Chapter 1: First Impressions.

It wasn't cold outside but still she kept her arms wrapped round herself in a self hug she had become used to giving herself without a second thought. Sat in the back seat of the car with her fourth set of foster parents in six months sat in comfortable silence.

No music permeated the car, the over-enthusiastic tones of the radio presenters that she had listened to in her _real _parent's car were not coming from the speakers. There was no noise.

Shifting her hold slightly she glanced to the right where one of the many black bags that held her belongings sat. She was beginning to hate those bags, they meant movement, leaving what she was used to and although change was not something she feared it wasn't something she welcomed.

_Where are they?_ The tears that she was always teetering on the edge of were making themselves known again and she stared out the window, closing her eyes and biting her bottom lip to force them back. Mom and dad missing without a trace and Russ… he'd promised he would always be there, always, he'd gone too.

"You okay back there Princess?" her new foster father asked, glancing in the rear view mirror.

Princess, what kind of nickname is Princess? She nodded "I'm fine thank you," she said politely. No point telling him she wasn't fine was there?

That she couldn't be further from. That all she wanted to do was crawl into a hole and cry for all eternity. That she didn't want to go home with them, she didn't want to be someone else's daughter and she didn't want to be called anything other than Temperance or at a push, Tempe.

"Here we are," Diana announced as they pulled up outside a nice looking house in a street full of other nice looking houses.

Following Diana's example Temperance opened the car door and closed it, staring up at yet another new home, in yet another new neighbourhood, with yet more new parents.

"What'd you think?' James asked, opening the right back door and pulling out her bag.

"It's nice," she spoke quietly. It wouldn't be long before she was back in the orphanage again so what did it matter if she liked it or not?

"Why don't you go in and have a look with Di, I'll get your things," James smiled, sympathetically at her and she fought back the urge to glare at him.

She did not want sympathy, instead she replied "I can help" she went to the now open trunk and went to pick up a bag but was stopped.

"Don't worry about it," he brushed the back of his hand across her cheek in a sign of affection "I'm sorry about your parents Princess, but we'll try and do right by them I promise,"

Too choked up by yet another mention of her parents in the past tense she simply nodded and went back to hugging herself before obediently following Diana inside.

Why did people do that? How did anyone know what the missing or deceased would want? Did someone ask them? No it was simple guesswork that was used by people who felt pity and sympathy and were under the illusion that mere words would heal the gaping wounds that grief caused.

"This is the lounge, we usually have Family Movie Night on a Thursday, over there is the kitchen and the dining room. Upstairs there are the bedrooms and the bathroom…"

Temperance nodded, barely taking in what was being said to her. The room was nice. Cosy. Warm colours and pictures adorned the furniture and a soft light illuminated photographs on the mantel, which she did not spare more than a glance.

"…Would you like to see your room?" Diana asked and smiled fondly when Temperance jumped from her reverie.

"If that's okay," she nodded and tried not to shy away as Diana put a motherly hand on her back and guided her upstairs.

"Here you are, between the bathroom James and my room. Do you want to be left alone for a while? I'll get James to bring your things straight up,"

"That would be nice," Temperance gave her a tiny smile and as Diana was half way downstairs "thank you,"

Diana smiled back and nodded her acceptance before continuing her descent.

Temperance turned to the door and taking a breath turned the handle, stepping into 'her' room.

It was simple enough, a bed, a desk, a chair and a closet. The carpet was a deep red and soft looking, the walls a very pale cream colour and the curtains matched the carpet. The bedspread was a dark blue and the bed itself did look _very _comfortable.

"I'll just pop your things here okay?"

Temperance turned to see James stood in the doorway, a bag in each hand, she nodded yet again and he smiled at her "you like it?"

Seeing the hope in the man's face she couldn't help but give a half smile "It's very nice. Thank you,"

James rolled his eyes playfully "there's no need to thank us. You're family,"

Temperance started. _Family? _No one had said that to her, her biological family had never had to obviously and no 'family' since had said any such thing to her "I think I can do that," she smiled fully now, not grinning just a quirk of her lips that passed as a smile.

James chuckled "there's two more to come, I'll just bring them up now,"

Temperance turned back to survey her new bedroom as he left before turning to face her bags. Maybe this time wasn't going to be so bad.

* * *

"Coffee?" Diana got up off the couch and glanced at her husband who was surfing channels on the television.

"Sure,"

Diana went to the kitchen and turned the coffee machine on as she got two mugs from the cupboard.

"Hey mom," he slung his bag on the floor.

"Nice day at school?" she asked and shook her head and laughed as her son pulled a face at her and went through to the lounge.

"Hi dad," he sat on the couch as well "what're you watching?" but no sooner had he asked that and the TV was turned off and his father turned to him with a serious expression on his face.

"Seeley, there's something we need to tell you-" James began but frowned when he realised his son was staring straight past him.

"Who's the babe?"

* * *

She could do this right? All it was, was asking for a bulb to put in the lamp on her desk which they seemed to have forgotten to put in but what if…

What if what? This was stupid, _she _was stupid.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs she tentatively turned the corner into the lounge and was met by the darkest set of chocolate coloured eyes she had ever seen. Shame the belonged the same person who spoke first.

"_Who's the babe?"_

"Too you? Off limits," she quipped before turning to go back upstairs, this could wait, she could do without it, she had a few dollars in her purse, she could go out later and buy -

"Hang on Temperance," Diana said, shooting a disapproving look at her son.

Temperance turned back and avoided looking at the chocolate-eyed boy completely.

"We'd like you to meet our son," James said, getting to his feet "Seeley. Seeley meet your new foster sister. Temperance Brennan,"

* * *

The door was open when he passed else he would never have … okay he would.

So a foster sister huh? He could live with that. Well he could live with _her._

"You do know that spying on someone isn't the best way to apologise," she said without turning from sorting through her clothes on the bed.

He jumped and gave a rather startled look, glancing round to check no one saw him. He regained his composure though as she did turn to face him "who says I had an apology on my mind?" he grinned at her and despite her earlier summary of him this only served as fuel to the fire he'd sparked on their meeting.

Rolling her eyes she strolled across the room, stepping over one of the bags and standing in front of him, opening her mouth to say something before she shut the door in his face when she couldn't think of anything to say. So she was wrong. Maybe it _was _going to be that bad.

_Author's Notes: Booth was… well I have trouble writing adult him so fifteen year old him is like… a whole different world, it's just how it came out and he hasn't done much yet so give me a time before you call the verdict. I am working on Love. Life. Eternity. but writer's block is such a downer ain't it?_


	2. She's Immune

_Author's Notes: Yay! Teenage Jack, Angela and Dr. Goodman! Yay, yay!– oh and Mack! __I'm gonna bring in whom I can, that means we're gonna have Zack at some point later and Rebecca and anyone else I can think of or is requested. I honestly don't know much about Rebecca, I can't remember her all I know is I don't like her. She doesn't like letting Booth see Parker. That's more than enough reason for me to not like her. And I don't know her surname, so she's been dubbed Rebecca Hargreaves. __Through rough calculations I have managed to ascertain that Zack is gonna be quite little, about six or seven at the oldest I should think, if anyone has a better guess please do let me know._

Chapter 2: She's Immune.

The hall was buzzing with students getting things in and out of lockers. Girls chatting and boys throwing a football to each other over the heads of the other students, whooping with laughter if it should hit another of the students at any point.

Crowds were not really Temperance's thing, too many people who lacked the ability to understand that they did _not _own half the planet and other people _did _have a right to be there despite what others may think.

"Here's your locker," Booth said pushing past a taller boy who gave him a deadly look which was returned with twice the intensity than it was originally sent. "Mine's just down there," he pointed down the corridor and leant against the locker next to Temperance's as she took the piece of paper out from under the books she was carrying and checked the combination before entering it and placing most of her books in there.

"Homeroom's first so I'll walk you to that 'coz you're with me and then you're on your own,"

She nodded, closing her locker and turning to face the rapidly shrinking crowd. When he wasn't hitting on her Booth wasn't so bad it seemed but she banished the thought last time she'd thought that worse things had followed.

"Booth!" a dark haired boy asked, his skin tanned a recent brown, a smile on his face as he and Booth greeted each other with the oddest hand shake Temperance was sure she'd ever seen "hey," he turned to Tempe "I'm Mack,"

"Temperance," she replied quietly.

"How do you know Booth then, Tempe?" Mack asked, as the bell rang and many more of the students filtered in to classrooms.

She paused "uh…"

"She's my foster sister," Booth said as he and Mack started towards class, neither checking to see if they were being followed by their topic of conversation.

"Dude I didn't know your parents were adopting," Mack exclaimed as they entered the classroom.

"Hey, me neither Mack, me neither,"

Both boys made their ways to their seats still chatting amiably and Temperance felt a rush of abandonment as she surveyed the room. A pretty dark haired girl in the third row waved to her and feeling ever so slightly self-conscious she headed over, sliding into the seat between the girl and the window.

"I'm Angela," she announced, beaming a thousand-watt smile that Temperance could not help but return.

"Temperance," she said for the second time in five minutes "I-"

"You've met Booth right?" she said enthusiastically and Temperance had the feeling this would be her first 'friend' in this new place.

"I live with him," she found herself saying.

Angela frowned a little, confused.

"I'm his foster sister,"

Angela's mouth formed a perfect 'o' and she didn't seem sure what to say and so for the first time in months Temperance found herself volunteering information about herself.

"My parents went missing a few months ago. No one knows where they are,"

"I'm sorry sweetie," Angela leaned over a placed a hand on her arm in sympathy and Temperance gave her a moment before shaking her off but did it in such away it just looked like she was reaching for a pen in her bag.

"I've met Mack as well," she broke the silence that followed and the trance like stare Angela had gotten whilst watching her.

"Mack's cool," Angela said "Booth can come across a bit inappropriate but he's cool too,"

Temperance decided not to comment.

"You met anyone else?"

Head shake.

"Well over there," Angela pointed to a blonde in the corner, as if on que she flicked her hair over her shoulder and flashed Temperance a fake smile and a tiny wave "is Rebecca Hargreaves. She's Booth's ex girlfriend,"

Temperance was surprised to feel a stab of jealousy at that but ignored it and continued to be interested.

"And there," she pointed two seats to her right "is Jack," the curly head of the boy turned and Temperance started at the brilliant blue eyes staring at her upon the mention of his name.

"Hodgins," he corrected glaring at Angela who rolled her eyes at him and tapped the shoulder of the tall black boy in front of her "Hey Daniel, this is Tempe, she's new,"

Daniel waved once and nodded at her before turning back to whatever he was doing.

"And that's about everyone," Angela said "of any importance anyway,"

* * *

"I don't get it," Booth announced, vaulting the small fence and sitting cross legged on the grass in between Angela and Temperance as they ate their lunch in one perfect move.

"Get what?'" Angela asked, clearly smitten by him and Temperance resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Why teach algebra at all?" he said, leaning back on his hands casually.

Mack came and sat by Temperance and whispered "he's been going on about that since the end of third period,"

She chuckled and bit into the apple she was eating.

"What?" Booth challenged.

"Nothing," she defended swallowing quickly and avoiding his eyes.

"So do you know?" he asked, watching her avidly which made her nervous.

"Why they teach algebra?" she checked and then realised she didn't know the answer "practice I guess,"

"But why not use numbers? I mean letters are for English not for Math,"

Wisely she stayed quiet noticing that this was one of those times where no matter what was said it would be countered and so on until nothing made sense any more and arguments ensued.

"What do you think is _really_ in cafeteria meatloaf?" Jack said a moment later, causing everyone to pause "what? I'm not even just talking about meatloaf I'm talking _all _the food. I've had mac n cheese before hundreds of times before I came here and I've never seen it green. And there has to be something wrong with a food that doesn't look like something the next door neighbours dog brought up when it's served in there. Something worse than the stuff that looks bad,"

Booth gave him a funny look before downing half a bottle of water and opening a packet of crisps from home and Mack just said "conspiracy theorist," in Temperance's ear and she nodded in acknowledgement and again chose to stay silent.

"So when did you… you know," Mack sipped the can of cola as he addressed the newest member of their little group.

"Friday," Booth supplied for her before she even opened her mouth "came home from school and there she was,"

Angela scowled at him "she's not a dog Booth," then "she's sat right here," to Temperance "sorry,"

"I wasn't exactly foretold of you either," she did not know exactly what she was feeling but it was confusing, she was having so many conflicting emotions about his particular boy and it was unnerving her.

"Feisty," he taunted, smirking, teasing her.

She glowered at him and gathered up her things, stalking across the lawns without looking back at him or any one of them.

* * *

"Sweetie," Angela sat on the wall round the garden at the back of the school next to Temperance who was reading some book or other, she didn't catch the title "you okay?"

"I'm fine. Thank you," she replied curtly.

"Booth's just like that, he didn't mean anything by it,"

"I don't care what he said Ange," she whispered and raised a sceptical eyebrow when Angela smirked knowingly "what?"

"You like him," she grinned.

"I do not!" Temperance exclaimed hotly "if anything it's the _complete _opposite,"

"Oh?"

"I've known him just over two days and so far he's given me the impression he's arrogant, self assured and flirtatious," she put her book back in her bag roughly "I don't _like_ him on any level,"

"Two days is a short space of time to make an opinion like that," Angela said gently "he's like that with everyone. It works on most people,"

"What does?"

"Bren,"

That was nickname she hadn't had before, it was okay though, it was sort of nice, well better than 'Princess' anyway.

"I've been in two of your classes today and two of his," she stated.

"And?"

"_And, _he either couldn't take his eyes off of you or wouldn't shut up about you," she spoke slowly.

Temperance paused before shaking her head "so what? It doesn't stop me from disliking the fact he seems to think he can get away with treating and speaking to people as he pleases,"

Angela sighed. There was obviously no getting through to this girl "fine. But most girls would kill to have that amount of attention focussed on them. Especially from Booth," with that the bell went and she slipped off the wall and made her way back to the school building.

_Author's Notes: I have plenty of ideas as to what I want to do main storyline included but if there are any little scenes you've thought of and really, really would like to see in this then I'm all ears. Please remember though that unless I can fit them into the storyline then I might not be able to use them but would be more than happy to right that particular scene especially for you 'coz I'm nice like that lol._


	3. Reconciliation

_Author's Notes: This chapter was written when I was feeling particularly restless and had no idea what to do so I forced myself to sit at my computer and think of something because lying flat on my back staring at the ceiling was entirely unproductive. All I can say is 'alone time' isn't always a good thing…_

_I'm laughing already. Why? Lil' Zack. Why again you ask? I have no idea._

_Disclaimer/Necessary Information: Alex is short for Alexandria and is in fact Mack's little sister who's mentioned briefly in my other fiction MIA and Mattie is short for Matilda who is … well… Mack's deceased wife in MIA and she's mentioned here very much alive and undoubtedly well._

Chapter 3: Reconciliation.

They'd had it on the calendar for weeks it had not quite occurred to them that it was this particular night that they had planned the dinner with the neighbours across the street.

"Tempe I really am sorry, we could cancel if you like?" Diana said as she flitted round her bedroom putting in earrings, applying lipstick and other such accessories.

Temperance stood in the doorway, even having been invited into the room she preferred to stay as far out as possible. It felt strange to be in there, well in the house at all but she was slowly becoming accustomed to strange houses and strange places at least this time the people weren't quite so strange "it's fine really," she assured her. "I've been home alone before," the word home in reference to this place rolled off her tongue too easily in her eyes but at the same time it felt right.

Diana smiled at her "Yes but you've only been with us a couple of days…"

"Relax sweetheart," James came in, squeezing his foster daughter's shoulder affectionately as he passed "Seeley will keep her company,"

Temperance bit her tongue and remarking she did not require the kind of company their son seemed to want to offer her instead she nodded "I'll be fine,"

Diana paused a moment "okay but if there's a problem –"

"Mom what's going on?" Booth came and stood behind Temperance, leaning in the doorjamb.

"We're going out for dinner with the Thompsons,'' she replied "you and Tempe will be all right?"

He shrugged and nodded "might be having a coupla people over though,"

James narrowed his eyes ever so slightly "how many?" he was sceptical.

"Two or three," he replied, ignoring the gaze that had settled on him.

"Make sure it stays that low," was James' only response as he and Diana left the room, seemingly running late, Temperance and Booth followed them downstairs.

"We won't be home until late so there's some things in the fridge, money by the phone, you know the number…"

"Mom seriously, we're gonna be fine," he ushered them from the house and waited until they'd driven off before he closed the door.

"Who's coming over?" she attempted normal conversation, they were yet to say something to one another that wasn't sarcastic, defensive or crude.

He looked at her a moment, gauging her mood "Angela and Hodgins," he replied heading back to the lounge.

Deciding to through it to the winds she settled beside him on the couch, the television was off and he seemed to be just sat there not doing too much other than fiddling absently with a pen cap.

"I'm sorry I said what I did at school yesterday," he said, and what shocked her was not the apology itself but the sincerity behind it, although he did not look at her it was obvious he meant it.

"Good," she found herself replying and mentally wincing at how cocky it sounded but simply looked in the opposite direction, suddenly entranced by the vase of flowers on the window sill.

She looked back at him after a moment, he wasn't talking, wasn't looking at her either "it's okay," she added quietly.

He looked up suddenly and grinned, she felt herself unable to refrain from smiling back, ducking her head in embarrassment for reasons she was unsure off but was she was sure of is that he looked _really _hot when he smiled like that.

The doorbell ringing cut off any further communication between the two as he got to his feet to answer it "who's the kid?" was all he said before Temperance came into the kitchen also as he closed the door again.

"I'm Zack," the child announced shyly although smiling a little when he saw Temperance.

"And Zack would be…" Booth asked jumping up to sit on the counter.

"Kid I'm babysitting," Jack muttered "couldn't leave him at home, nearly didn't come but his dad told me to bring him with me before he left,"

"Come in," Booth called as he leaned forwards to attempt to open the fridge and pull out a bottle of soda only to find he was sat on the wrong side of it and the door hit his knees preventing him from actually reaching his desired beverage.

Temperance simply pulled out the bottle and handed it to him without a word, closing the fridge and smiling a little at Angela as she did as per instructed; entering the house.

Booth sipped the soda "what we gonna do then?"

"Play a game?" Zack suggested, looking up at everyone around him with a craned neck, wide eyes regarding everyone else in the room with a look of pure innocence.

He was ignored.

"Dunno," Jack helped himself to a soda, throwing one to Angela and offering one to Temperance who shook her head "whatever it is I gotta make sure he's back by nine,"

"Is Mack coming?" Booth asked, slipping from the counter and heading back to the lounge again.

"He said he's gotta stay home and look after Alex – she's got the flu or something and his mom and dad have gone to meeting with the board of directors," Angela explained.

"There's a park not to far from here isn't there?" Temperance said slowly, "you guys could talk and Zack could …" she left her sentence unfinished as the piercing gaze of a certain fifteen-year-old boy was sending shivers to her spine and a blush to her cheeks.

She hadn't felt like this before Angela had mentioned him watching her had she? Maybe it was just a side affect of her attempts at calming her but damn… could she actually be right?

Booth shrugged "sounds good, take some chips and soda or something, hang out for a while. It's better than staying here," he went to collect the desired items without waiting for a response from any of the rest of the group.

Angela seemed to agree and followed him, Jack remained in different and the little boy, Zack wandered over to Temperance with a frown on his face. He looked almost cute.

"Jack's never mentioned you a'fore," he said, it seemed that despite him barely speaking his words and way of speech would not have been amiss on a full grown man, they sounded odd coming out in a high little voice when they so clearly belonged to someone much older.

She could not think of anything to say.

"He's mentioned his friends," he clambered up and sat straddling the arm of the chair she had sat down in "but not you,"

"I've only known him two days so maybe I'm not his friend," she felt nervous, as if she was being judged, held before yet another jury only this time she would be weighed and measured by the eyes of a six-year-old.

"You're my friend," he assured her "I like you,"

"You don't know me Zack,"

"Like you though," he repeated as if that's all that mattered and in his mind it probably did.

"Thank you," she muttered, trying to avoid looking at him.

"Who's your mommy and daddy?" he queried, cocking his head to one side, why he asked that question no body knew.

She took a sharp intake of breath and did not notice Booth and Angela had returned, laden with a bag of snacks and drinks, and were stood watching her nervously as was Jack.

"They uh… they went missing a few months ago," she cleared her throat and blinked hard, he wouldn't know why she was crying, none of them would. She wanted her mom's picnic sandwiches, her dad's hugs, her brother's gentle voice calling 'Marco' as he passed just so she could reply 'Polo', their laughter. She wanted everything she was missing and so, so much that she had once took for granted.

Zack ignored the frantic hand gestures from an oddly active Jack who was making a slicing motion across his neck, as he was certain Temperance could not see him.

"Where'd you live then?"

"Here," she choked out, dammit no more tears.

Zack nodded and unfortunately saw her eyes brimming "sorry," he mumbled, suddenly embarrassed "I di'n't mean to make you cry,"

"I'm fine," she smiled at him "I'm fine,"

Booth watched her a second, gaining eye contact and with a simple look he said so many things. _Are you okay? Want to stay here? Can I do anything? I'm sorry. I hope your parents turn up okay. Don't cry. He didn't mean it. He's just a kid._

She sent him one back answering everything. _Not really. Yes but I won't. No you can't but thanks for offering… so do I. I won't. I know…_

"Shall we?" Angela said, biting her tongue, realising that everything that needed to be asked or said had been even if only with a fraction of a second's glance.

Temperance nodded and absently helped a struggling Zack jump from his position on the chair arm.

* * *

"Mattie!" Angela exclaimed upon seeing the pretty brunette girl sat alone on a swing with a rather passive looking golden retriever at her feet "hey sweetie!"

"Who's Mattie?" Temperance asked Jack who seemed to be trying to fob Zack off to the slide, which he was not amused with at all.

"Matilda Armstrong, her dad's an engineer, she's a friend of Angela's. Her and Mack get along quite well though and her mom's a lawyer," he said choosing to ignore Zack, or at least keep him in his periphery but not actual look at or speak to him.

"Hey," Mattie greeted them with a smile as Angela sat on the swing next to her "you're Tempe right?"

Temperance nodded "how did you…"

"Mack told me," her voice was sweet and very childlike, everything about her was childlike actually, fragile and petite.

"So what're you doing here on your own?" Angela asked, shifting in her seat to give her friend undivided attention.

"Mom's out of town working on some case or other and daddy's studying something in his office so I figured I'd take Bounty for a walk," she smiled brightly "Zack," she greeted the blonde child cheerily "how are you?"

She spoke to him as if he were an adult it was almost amusing and slightly odd to see someone so small, and he was small, very small, addressed as if he were thirty six as opposed to just plain six.

Jack was leaning casually against the wooden beam of the swing set and Angela was having an animated conversation with Mattie and Zack leaving Temperance too suddenly find her gaze drawn to Booth. He deftly managed to climb the green entanglement of metal poles and sit quite comfortably at the top of them.

"You gonna come up here?" he called down to her, it appeared to be maybe ten feet from the ground and he seemed perfectly at ease up there, opening the bag and pulling out a packet of potato chips.

She waited a moment, glancing to the others who were taking no notice of her or Booth and nodded "I guess,"

"You need a-" he gave her a wide eyed look of awe as she was already sat next to him "how'd you do that?"

She smiled at him, flushing slightly from the exertion it had taken to move as quickly and as easily as she had "do what?"

"You got up here… even I can't do it like that," he seemed genuinely shocked and she could not help but find that slightly amusing.

"Practice I guess," she said, brushing the loose strands of her hair back as the breeze tugged them from her ponytail.

He nodded and kicked a bar of the frame idly, offering her the bag which she helped herself to a handful of its contents.

"You're not so bad when you're not showing off," she said after they spent a good five minutes in companionable silence, looking at him.

"Who says I'm not showing off?" he grinned.

She rolled her eyes and he accepted it, they were easily slipping into 'getting along mode' how that had happened so suddenly she did not know. Maybe he just didn't like being completely ignored which she had successfully managed to do all day yesterday and most of today without James, Diana or any of their numerous teachers realising.

"So… did you have any siblings before mom and dad … you know adopted you?" he sounded nervous, dubious about asking the question and in all fairness, even in the four no five days they had known each other she hadn't given him any reason not to be. For some reason him asking didn't bother her so much.

"I had a brother," she stared out at the small woodland area about thirty feet from the park's back gate "he was older than me,"

"What happened to him?"

"He left," she replied simply, why could it seem easier to have this conversation in her head and yet on the outside her voice caught in her throat, her answers were inexpressive. It had been like that for a while, so much to say, to anyone, but known will to do it, no way of getting round impassable barricades formed by her own emotional spectrum.

"Oh," he said softly following her gaze.

"His name was Russ. He looked out for me a lot. He…" she smiled and looked at her hands that lay empty in her lap then back at Booth who now had his undivided attention on her "we would race up the climbing frames when we were little, he'd always let me win,"

"Sounds cool,"

"Then when mom and dad left… he just kinda did too,"

He did not respond and she did not want him too. It was easier to speak without having to check her words for barbed comments in reference to wounds so fresh they still bled every single night. Every time the front door would open she had to quash the thought that no it wasn't dad home from work, or mom back from grocery shopping or even Russ just back from anywhere.

A cry from down below them had them both scanning the floor for signs of their companions. It came to show that the group had gone to take Bounty for a wander outside the park he technically shouldn't have been in and the easy going retriever had suddenly found a scent and was following it despite the desperate calls of Mattie and Angela.

"Come on," Booth shoved the stuff back in the knapsack and slung it over his shoulder jumping from the top of the frame and landing perfectly on his feet.

She decided to climb down much easier than looking like she was challenging him or showing off. She did not protest nor mention the fact that he had instinctively raised his hands and taken her waist to guide her down, for a second the warm skin of his fingers brushing the cooler skin of her belly as she was wearing nothing more than jeans and a t-shirt.

Both vaulted the fence and took of at a run to catch up with Angela and Mattie as Jack and his little companion were lagging slightly.

Bounty was into the woods before anyone could stop him and Angela and Mattie were slowing, tiring. Temperance put on another burst of speed, ducking low branches, wincing as twigs snapped across her face and the leafy undergrowth gave way once or twice, twisting her ankle and jarring her knees.

Booth was hot on her heels, determined not to be out run he caught up with her despite the burning in his lungs from sprinting the last sixty or so feet.

Temperance stopped between two tall trees deep into the wood and Booth ended up running in to her. They slipped down the embankment, rolling together for a few feet and then stopping, caught unawares by the fact that he was lying flat on his back, her on his chest with his arms around her loosely.

Both cleared their throats uncomfortably and went to move when Bounty snuffling somewhere to Booth's left and shifting the leaves with his big wet nose. They both turned their heads and froze in shock, horror and fear at what they came eye to eye with.

_Author's Notes: There you go, longish anyway. Hope its okay for you guys, my computer might be going away on Friday so as I want to update at least Love. Life. Eternity. And hopefully MIA as well I can't see you get another update on this until next week. I should be able to do some writing okay on Saturday hopefully – it's my birthday and my mom, dad, two lil bro's and my lil sis are going school uniform shopping so I should be home alone and able to concentrate. But it can't be updated until the computer gets back I might try if I get the inspiration and the time to do this get another chapter up but chances are it ain't gonna happen. XD_


	4. Bodies in the Woods

_Author's Notes: I own Special Agent Ben Quinn and Dr. Janice Connors._

Chapter 4: Bodies in the Woods

Both Booth and Temperance scrambled to their feet, not getting very far away from the source of their fear but far enough so their eyes weren't crossing trying to focus or rather not focus on what lay in front of them.

"Holy shit," Booth breathed, pale and shaking, tremors coursing through his body like wildfire.

"What's going on? Oh…" Angela stood at the top of the embankment, both her and Mattie who stood next to her were grey, their colour startling similar to that of the shirt that Angela sported.

Temperance ignored them and Booth for that matter. Entranced by the only half-covered carcasses, she stepped forwards slowly for reasons that were unclear, nervousness probably, fear, shock… Bounty bounded over to Mattie and she caught his collar, holding him back. She carefully brushed the foliage away and jumped back as her stomach convulsed.

Two skeletons. Flesh and ragged clothing hanging from the bony appendages, leaves stuck to the dried blood of the first set. One on top of the other, the precise same position that she and Booth had been in moments ago, coincidence. It had to be.

Jack's eyes widened as he reached his friends and his immediate reaction was to clap a hand over his charges eyes eliciting a small shriek of surprise followed by a "Jack what're you doing?"

"Shh," he whispered, fighting back the urge to hurl.

The acrid scent of blood and death and decay permeated their noses, stinging their eyes and leaving tastes in their mouths they rather not think about. Maggots crawled in the crevices of the body, making the smell all the more powerful and their skin crawl.

"Tempe get back!" Mattie exclaimed tearfully.

Temperance did not move, staring at the remains with morbid fascination and horror… they… they were… she and Booth had been…

Booth grabbed her arm as if the skeletons were about to grab either him or her and pulled her back, she didn't notice and did not move when he forced her to stand close to him "what're we gonna do?"

* * *

Blue lights flashed and muttered talk among people as they flitted around the scene, photographing everything. Men and women in blue coveralls with FBI written in huge yellow block capitals on their backs took samples of the earth and anything else they could find.

Mattie and Angela were sat on the bank; stand-issue paramedic's blankets round their shoulders as they conversed in hushed voices.

Booth did not speak, more for the fact that he could not think of anything to say as that he was in shock, which he was but that didn't matter.

Temperance hadn't spoken. At all and she was stood as close as she could get to the bodies, her arms wrapped round herself in a hardly sufficient self-hug.

A moment of compassion seized him and he pulled off his jacket wrapped it round her shoulders. Both he and her and refused the blankets when offered and wondered whether she'd actually heard the question or was simply answering another question in everyone's minds…

"What've we got?" An agent asked a woman crouched by the remains.

"From here?" she looked at him then back "I'd say male and female, both mid forties,"

"Cause of death?"

"On the female, at first analysis, bullet to the sternum, but I can't be sure until I've taken it to the lab to be examined," she stood up, brushing her hands off on the knees of her jeans "strictly off record. I'd say they were put like this for a reason,"

"And the male?"

"Cause of death remains undetermined," she shrugged.

The agent nodded and Booth noticed him approach he and Temperance and suddenly he noticed her hand was clutched tightly in his, embarrassed by this subconscious need for comfort he attempted to let go but she simply tightened her own hold until he relaxed.

"I'm Special Agent Ben Quinn," the agent said, flashing his badge "who might you be son?"

"Seeley Booth," he replied without really realising.

"And you?" he spoke gently, carefully but Temperance did not reply or even look at him, still staring as the remains were packed carefully into body bags.

"She's Temperance," Booth supplied "Temperance Brennan. My foster sister,"

The woman came and stood next to him.

"This is Janice Connors. She's a Forensic Anthropologist for the FBI," Agent Quinn introduced the woman next to him. The woman, although her dark red hair was slowly turning silver, her age however did not seemed to have affected her as much as one would have expected. Faint lines around her eyes were the only signs of physical age. She was slim, well built, fit. She was ageing with the grace every woman wishes she could and rarely does.

Janice held out her hand then took it back when neither teenager took it, smiling grimly at them "I better go," she said softly before departing.

"Who are they?" Temperance croaked, blinking firmly and looking up expectantly at Agent Quinn.

"We don't know yet miss," Quinn shook his head, glancing back at the crime scene for a second "what were you doing all then way out here anyway?"

Temperance gave him a blank look and Booth went to answer when his mother calling his name stopped him and he turned round.

"Seeley! Oh thank God!" she pulled him to her, hugging him so tightly it was a wonder he could still breath, Temperance was pulled in also as and James wrapped his own arms round the three of them, giving them a comforting, momentary squeeze before releasing them, seconds later Diana followed example.

Temperance remained stoic and did not make a sound of protest even as her inner voice howled in anguish at the forced human contact. She could not even think of a suitable remark when Booth looked round carefully to ensure no one had seen the spontaneous 'group hug' before straightening his shirt and tensing visibly as his gaze travelled back to the scene at hand.

"Mr and Mrs Booth?" Quinn held his hand out and James shook it firmly.

"James, please. What's going on? We got a call and came as soon as we could…"

"Your son and his friends stumbled upon…"

Temperance could not quash the stab that hit her chest at 'friends' not sister or foster sister… why did she want that? Want to be family with him… them. She had her own right?

"… _male and female, both mid forties… bullet to the sternum…"_

She shook her head, ignore it. It's not possible. Why would that happen? It can't possibly be true.

"… Pat probably called you," Quinn finished.

"Can we take them home?" James asked, one hand on his son's shoulder and he felt both gratitude and fear at the fact it was not shrugged off.

"What about…?" Booth looked wide eyed from his father to his friends and trailed off upon realisation that their parents too had been called and were suffering the 'group hug' treatment also.

"They're fine son," James assured him with a soft smile that was not returned.

"You can take them home for now. We'll be calling over tomorrow to ask questions of course,"

"Of course,"

* * *

Bodies in the woods.

Dead.

Dead bodies in the woods.

"… _male and female … mid forties… bullet to the sternum…_ _Cause of death remains undetermined…_"

Ignore it. It's not real. It was just a nightmare. Just a nightmare. Not real.

"_Where are mom and dad?"_

"_They're not here Tempe"_

No! Block it out, don't listen. It can't be real, it can't possibly be real. You're fine. You're in your own bed; it's the middle of the night. Mom and dad are just down the hall and Russ is out with his friends…

"_Not here,"_

You've never met Angela, or Jack, or Booth. You're in your own bedroom… no your in math class and you dozed off… yeah that's right, one too many late nights spent hanging out with your brother that's it…

"_They're not here … bullet to the sternum … mid forties…"_

Temperance curled even tighter into herself, the duvet pulled right up to her chin and clutched in trembling hands. Tears soaked both her cheeks and the pillow beneath her head as she stared straight at the door that was slightly ajar. She shivered with cold, her feet aching with the numbness but she dare not move. She barely had the nerve to breath. Sobs were trapped in her chest, smothering every cell in her body as they begged for release, for breath, for relief.

* * *

Booth stood in the doorway to his room for he had no idea how long; it felt like hours but was most probably minutes. The inky blackness of the hallway forced him to widen his eyes if he had any hope of seeing anything other than it. But even in the dark, even when he closed his eyes he could still see four sockets staring back at him like wide eyes, full sets of teeth impersonating broad grins. Faces of the dead staring at him, taunting him, _scaring_ him.

A sound from Temperance's room broke the image that had asserted itself in the hall and had Booth creeping blindly into the dark. He was mindful not to turn on a light in case he woke anyone up, or more importantly notified his mother that he was awake and she should come rushing out. Molly-coddling him as she had for the hour and a half before both he and Temperance had retreated to the sanctuary of their respective bedrooms.

Cringing when her door creaked as he pushed it open a little bit more to check on the room's inhabitants he tentatively stepped into the room itself, closing the door behind him.

"Tempe?" he hated how shaky his voice sounded and more so that if he could hear it then she undoubtedly would also.

She however did not call him on it so he assumed she had not heard it as he had first thought. Temperance didn't reply either, or make any indication that she had heard him and so in a moment of boldness he had not known he possessed he had crawled up the length of her bed and settled between the wall and her foetal position at the edge.

She still did not respond, he reached out a placed his still trembling hand on her shoulder, moving it gently down the length of her arm and back again, rubbing it so lightly he was certain it should have tickled.

"Seeley?" she whispered quietly, once her whimpered cries had tapered off for the most part.

"Yeah?" his voice equally quiet as he stared at the back of her head, moving his other hand to run a hand through the lengths that spilled over the pillow.

"Thank you," she relaxed her death grip on the comforter and took the hand that was now resting on her arm, interlocking her fingers over the back of it and settling it against her stomach, shifting so her back leant slightly on his chest.

He did not respond. Instead listened to the sound of her breathing as it calmed and finally steadied indicating sleep, allowing the warmth of her body against his to lull him also into a slumber. A vague thought in the back of his mind that he should leave barely registered before he was too close to sleep to care.

_Author's Notes: Mush is what I was told (and think) about THAT chapter but hey if you like it who am I to judge?_


	5. Pig Bones

_Author's Notes: Anyone else really, really hate that annoying low buzz that's an alarm clock? I detest that noise. __The experiment in Mrs Wesley (I own her)'s class was actually done, although not in such small groups in my own school last year. M__rs Wesley and Malorie Picket, are mine ::sigh:: don't know why I do that bit… only characters I have any 'pride' over the creation of are Mack and Mattie. Lol._

Chapter 5: Pig Bones.

James looked up from the paper and glanced at the clock on the wall, nearly half past seven.

"You think either of them slept last night?" Diana asked as she handed him a cup of coffee, turning to take the toast from the toaster.

"I'll be damned if I did," James admitted "just thinking about what they saw… being that age…" he shuddered as if to emphasise his point.

"They need to be up anyway," Diana said "that is… should we send them to school?"

"I honestly don't know Di, leave that to them this time I think,"

"What an awful way to be welcomed to the neighbourhood," Diana said as she left the room.

* * *

"Should we be at all worried that they're like that?" James asked his wife as they stood in the doorway of their foster daughter's bedroom. Both had panicked slightly upon finding their son's room empty but felt a wave of relief wash over them upon entering Temperance's room.

"They slept at least," Diana could not take her eyes off the pair in the bed, the comforter laying haphazardly over the pair.

Booth lay sprawled on his stomach, his left hand up by his head, facing towards the duo in the doorway, whilst Temperance lay curled up against him, her head resting by his hip as she faced him, their right hands interlocked over the duvet.

The alarm clock caused Diana to seep across the room and turn it off, crouching by the bed she shook her son's shoulder "Seeley, Seeley sweetheart," she coaxed "wake up honey,"

"Go 'way," he shifted from her reach and his hand slid from Temperance's in doing so.

Diana looked at her husband he smiled "son," he said softly.

Booth rolled onto his back "I'm up," he mumbled sleepily, his eyes yet to open, as he got his bearings he sat straight up, eyes wide as he realised where he was, who he was with, and that both his parents were smiling at him.

"Bones," he found himself muttering, tapping her fingers causing them to curl into a fist round a hand full of the duvet.

"Huh?" she blinked sleepily, flushed scarlet upon seeing her audience and then sat up, the comforter pooling in her lap.

"You guys good for school?" James asked, deciding that not offering them the day off was a reasonable way to gauge their state of minds.

Booth looked as if he was about to complain but Temperance had already jumped out of the bed and was stood in the centre of the room. Blinking back sleep and nodding at James' question.

* * *

"Montenegro and Goodman, Hodgins and Armstrong, Booth and Brennan, Hargreaves and Winters, Crawlings and Stanton…"

Temperance did not look away from where she was watching with a fascination she could not explain Jack drum his pen against his hand as Mrs Wesley announced who each person would be working with. She was a unique looking woman; her hair a multitude of red-browns and a few stray strands of purple twisted roughly and held at the crown of her head by a biro. Scalpels, pencils, spare pens and a selection of other sharp and unidentified objects in the pockets of her lab coat.

"Hey," Booth whispered, nudging her elbow as he slid into place next to her "you 'kay?"

She nodded, not looking at him, nodding in greeting to Mack as he took a seat opposite her, Rebecca at his side. She looked nice enough, average in height, if not a little petite, long wavy blonde hair that was pulled back into a pony tail loosely in a fashion that highlighted every perfect curl and allowed some to fall about her face.

"I heard about last night," Mack said as worksheets and other equipment were handed out.

Temperance made no move to respond and Booth just averted his gaze.

"Sorry," Mack sounded genuinely apologetic.

Both of them jumped as a window was opened, pushed hard against the ill-fitting frame making a rather lard noise. The sound of dead leaves rustling across the pavement brought the torment of the night forth with stunning accuracy.

"Jumpy aren't we?" Rebecca teased Booth as she took her work sheet absently from her lab partner, smiling sweetly when he glared at her and then picking up his own sheet.

"Heya!" Angela said, despite the blatant discomfort on everyone, aside from Rebecca and including Mack's faces she still seemed happy. At least she was consistent.

"Hey," Mack said, fiddling with his pen and looking at her.

Rebecca raised her eyebrows politely.

"She's got us dissecting things," she announced rather bluntly "she's helping Linda get them," she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Linda was the lab technician, an ancient woman with everything possible wrong with her, arthritis, bad knees, asthma, numerous allergies to the strangest things and thinning hair. Still she was always happy to help.

"Sounds good," Mack nodded, Booth nodding in agreement.

Angela pulled a face.

"Bones, you sure you're all right?" Booth said, kicking himself mentally. Why on earth was he calling her that? That was the second time in less than four hours and the word held no meaning, especially in correspondence with her.

"I'm fine," she said quietly, taking the sheet passed to her by Rebecca without looking at her causing the blonde's eyes to narrow but she did not say anything.

"Why'd you call her that?" Mack asked, head cocked to one side as Angela hurried back to her seat upon Mrs Wesley re-entering, Linda on her heels, with a trolley holding trays of what serious looked like hearts, lungs and gullets.

Booth shrugged, deciding if she didn't mind and he couldn't stop saying it then that was okay right?

"Can one person from each pairing come and collect a tray please?" Mrs Wesley trilled spinning her wedding ring from finger to finger.

A bustle of people and some rather disgusted noses later and everyone had the three parts of any mammal's body in front of them along with two scalpels and two pairs of latex gloves.

"What you have in front of you is the heart, lungs and trachea of a pig," Mrs Wesley announced "follow the worksheet!" she sing-songed then took her seat at the front desk as Linda left.

Temperance looked at it then to the diagram then back again. It smelled metallic and she felt like she was drowning in blood. Blood, death and decay smothered her from her memory not from the organs in front of her. Ignoring it she pulled on the gloves and picked up the scalpel.

As the semi-blunt blade sliced through the muscle of the cold heart in front of her she saw a shadow swaying. She looked back just in time to see her partner topple off the stool and the entire class to come to a stand still.

* * *

"I don't _know _why I'm here," Booth said for what felt like the thousandth time, kicking his legs back and forth on the bed, feeling a sense of satisfaction as Nurse Picket scowled disapprovingly at him "all I did is fall of the damn stool,"

"You fainted Seeley," the nurse said, pushing him back on to the bed as he tried to get up yet again "I'm going to have to call your parents. You need to go home,"

"No dammit!" he exclaimed frustrated, slamming a fist down on the crinkly paper of the bed he was sat on "I'm fine. Just let me go back to class,"

"I can't do that. Seeley, your pale, you pulse is rapid… I'm surprised you in school at all especially after last night's ordeal – stay there," she warned sternly as she went to answer a knock on the door.

"Can I help you sweetheart?" she smiled.

"I came…" she looked at her feet for a second "is Bo-Seeley in here?" she went straight to the point.

"Yes he is," Nurse Picket stepped aside "you're his foster sister correct?"

Temperance nodded and although he was the intention of her visit she did not look at him for several seconds. He'd collapsed. He'd seemed fine yet he had fainted.

"Are you feeling okay?" She frowned a little in concern "you don't look overly well," she pressed a palm to the teenage girl's head before there was time for protest "you're a little warm. Hop up on the bed next to Seeley there,"

"I'm fine," she did not move. If she felt ill she'd tell her and she didn't so she had no reason to 'hop up on the bed next to Seeley'

"Temperance -"

"Bones just do it," Booth said "she'll pick you up and put you there if you don't," he looked and sounded almost petulant and she had to force herself not to smile at that, he noticed anyway and frowned at her.

Nurse Picket was looking for something in a filing cabinet and sighing Temperance went and sat where she'd been told.

"Malorie!" a young male teacher, said, peering round the door, panic on his face "we have a code red in the lunch room,"

Nurse Picket nodded as he left once more and she followed suite soon after, not before telling them both not to move though.

"What's a code red?" Temperance asked "and why are you calling me Bones?"

"Code red," Booth leant back on to his hands "means either there's been a fight and someone's hurt too bad to get here himself or some poor kids tossed his cookies and either can't or doesn't want to come here,"

She wrinkled her nose a tiny bit in disgust "so why'd you faint?" she asked, allowing an edge of teasing to lace her voice.

"I did not faint," he said adamantly.

"Then you just throw yourself at the floor with your eyes closed for fun?" she was sceptical and yet still mocking him.

"I couldn't stop thinking about the people … last night," he defended quietly "and then the pig stuff…"

She nodded. His explanation was sketchy but it made sense. The heart … the lungs… the gullet… it was all eerily reminiscent of a human being. Who died first? How had they died? Their hearts would have been beating hard and fast, hammering against their ribs like a drunken drummer, their lungs heaving great gulps of air as it roared in their ears and their blood thrumming through their veins deafening in an eerie silence… or had it been loud?

Had their killer made noise? Talked to them? Tried to get them to tell him something? Or had he ridiculed them? Taunted them with promises of release, telling him she could go free if only he gave him the money, had he died protecting her or had she been killed before his eyes?

Were their deaths quick or were they tortured? Beaten and shot and stabbed and a multitude of other things that she did not want to think about but could not stop herself from conjuring forth in her mind in startling clarity.

She swallowed, forcing the room back into focus as she relaxed the death grip she'd taken on the edge of the bed.

"Bones?" Booth whispered "you okay?"

She looked at him sharply, her tone not so much demanding but exasperated as if she could not possibly comprehend where this strange nickname could have come from and more to the point why he was using it on her "why are you calling me Bones?"


	6. Misconduct

_Author's Notes: I think it was mentioned at some point that Temperance is calling Booth 'Booth' and to be honest at the moment I can't really see it working any other way; it's a little strange yes but after seeing 'Serenity' and Zoë calls her husband by his surname, or an abbreviation of it so I don't think that it's that big of a deal here just yet – bearing in mind they've only known each other for a minimal amount of time. :P_

_First MIA, then this… I think I'm just trying to kill time until Wednesday when I hope that the shop down town will contact me and my Supernatural DVDs will be in… :D_

Chapter 6: Misconduct

Booth shook his head "no reason,"

She frowned at him, his gaze averted and she knew he was lying to her, or at least rather uncomfortable by the question, letting it go for now she nodded "okay," she murmurred.

They sat in a brief silence, the room smelled of disinfectant and hydrogen peroxide, and the walls were white with usual posters adorning the walls giving advice on stopping smoking, drug using and the intricacies of why it was best to practice safe sex.

"C'mon," Booth jumped from the bed, if it made him feel dizzy he didn't show it "let's go,"

"Go where?" she asked dubiously.

"Anywhere, nurse is gonna send us home anyway and I don't know about you but I'd rather be doing what I want to do rather than being holed up bed with my mom nurse maid-ing."

She smiled at the tinge of pink that rose to his cheeks at the mention of his mother's care before he scowled at her and she stopped "you want to skip school?"

Booth shrugged "why not?"

For a moment she considered telling him no, that it was wrong. She wasn't a 'goody two shoes' she just picked her battles, and sometimes they just weren't fighting but right now, the smell of the room was disgusting and made her stomach roll, and claustrophobia was starting to set in from being so stuck in school. Suddenly it didn't sound like such a bad idea.

* * *

"Should it really be that easy?" She skipped a step to keep up with him as they walked through the school exit gate.

Booth shrugged "Some old guy who works here, Al, is supposed to watch it but he's probably asleep I the janitor's closet, usually is,"

Temperance nodded, following him around the corner "where exactly are we going?" she started walking backwards half a step in front of him so as to see his face.

He stopped "I want to check out the crime scene," he expected her to at least pale, she did nothing but nod.

"Okay," she said softly.

"You okay with that?"

"Why not?" she shrugged as they continued walking.

Ever since the night before it had been a nightmare she couldn't quite shake and judging by his fainting spell in class he felt some what the same. The thought of going back made her shudder but at the same time the idea that maybe it's what she needed to do – like getting back on a bike, except with dead bodies and no… okay there was falling involved but it was the symbolism of it – maybe going back would help.

It was soon yes, surely she would be expected to wait weeks, if not forever to go back there, as would Booth but it felt more appropriate for it to be sooner rather than later.

The distinct possibility in her mind that it could very well be her parents made her sick when she thought about it and as they approached the park they had met Mattie the night before she unconsciously altered her step to match that of her partner's,

Thoughts of her parents brought Russ to the forefront of her mind and the overwhelming feeling of loss and abandonment was like a bucket of ice water being dumped over her head.

"You okay?" Booth glanced back as they neared the thickening trees.

"If I wasn't I'd tell you," her words seemed harsh and the tone they were snapped in supported such a conclusion, she felt slightly guilty as a brief flash of hurt danced in his eyes before disappearing into the shadows that were cast across his face.

The area was as dark as it had been the night before if not more so. For a moment Booth recalled a documentary his father had been watching a few weeks ago and he had been drawn to as opposed to doing his History homework. Black holes. This placed reminded him of one, sound did not carry further than maybe a few feet and when it did it sounded dulled, almost muffled, light also seemed to be a foreign commodity in this place. He didn't actually realise he'd voiced the idea until Brennan replied.

"You can't actually see black holes." She stated conversationally, an odd sense of normalcy in her voice that didn't belong there "just the debris being sucked into them,"

"Ever wonder what it would be like to go through one?" his voice sounded distant in the darkness and idle conversation was probably easier to deal with than the deathly silence that they would have to endure otherwise.

"You'd get ripped apart," was her only reply and she pushed past him as they reached the bank they had rolled down the night before, yellow police tape was tied between the two trees now and looped over several others as well. It didn't stop her.

As she hit the tape and the knot gave the end fluttered to the ground amongst the leaves and twigs lying at the foot of the tree. Booth stared after her for a moment before following, shaking off the shudder a breeze that flitted by induced.

The bodies were gone however the evidence the police had been there was not. Freshly turned soil and disturbances in the shrubbery showed not a leave had been left unturned, the floor area surrounding the two victims was clear and devoid of all clutter.

It could have been them that had lain there hours ago, that could have been the last time she would ever see her parents. Logically she knew she would most likely never see either one of them again but another part, albeit a smaller part lived under the child's fantasy that any minute they would appear out of no where, Russ would come home and live would be normal again.

Booth touched the small of her back and although she flinched she didn't move away, his hand a small anchor in sea of emotions and thoughts that she should never have allowed to grow into fruition. Even with him shaking almost unnoticeably she could still feel his tremors passing into her.

"Bones?" he licked his lips and swallowed as he heard his voice and was mortified to hear how high pitched it had gone.

She turned her head sharply, one eyebrow arched quizzically as she stood, arms folded in a self hug that he found himself itching to unwind her from and feet squared, pink and white sneakers smeared with mud and the hems of her jeans damp.

"Do you… I think… maybe-"

She whirled away from him when a sound came from deeper in the woods, it sounded close but despite Booth's earlier depiction that the wood was like a black hole it was impossible to tell how close the source was.

"What?" he asked and she hissed him into silence.

"Oi!" an man exclaimed gruffly, his face almost completely covered in brown-speckled-grey hair "Gawd darn it! What're you two doin' down 'ere? Cannee ya not see the tape? This is a crime scene yer buggers! Now skeedaddle!"

Opening his mouth protest Booth stopped when he found he couldn't think of anything suitable to say and taking Temperance's hand hauled her back up the embankment without waiting for her to either agree or disagree with the man.

As he watched the duo leave the man called out "and don't bother comin' back ya miscreants!" he then sniffed, wrinkled his noise and took a breath before straightening his lumberjack's coat and hobbling back into the woodland whistling under his breath.

_Author's Notes: A little short but as I said when I updated MIA; it's better than nothing right?_


	7. Interrogation

_Author's Notes: _

'_googleaddict' - You raise a fair point. The fact that he is calling her Bones was a tricky one for me for some time, this story really does write itself lol! The reasons for him calling her Bones I do know, it's not 'wonderful' and I may change/ elaborate at some point but it's just a little something that he'll tell her eventually (chapter 19) The Romeo/Juliet thing, it doesn't come in yet and it's not direct. The summary comes from something said to Booth later on._

'_ShizueAoki' - Don't worry, even though this was started before season 2, Cam's debut will be in chapter... 18 I think... there is loads to happen in this, looking at it being 39 chapters with an epilogue, including everything I could think of without it seeming over done… I wanna tell ya'll but it'll ruin everything lol._

Chapter 7: Interrogation

They waited a reasonable amount of time, mostly hanging around in the park, before they decided to head home, despite every conversation starter that Booth had attempted Temperance had answered as quickly and with as little information as possible.

Booth caught her elbow as he rounded the corner and pointed out the sleek black SUV parked outside; she glanced at him and for a moment he thought he caught a glimpse of something akin to fear but it didn't last long enough for him to interpret it and Diana was already waving them over and their slowed pace quickened as she went back into the house.

"Are they here about last night?" he whispered as they reached the front gate.

"Why else would the FBI here?" she quipped, raising an eyebrow at him, smirking at the stung on his face she went inside.

"Tempe!" Diana exclaimed "are you all right?" she hugged her foster daughter tightly and Temperance froze until she pulled away, the sudden contact frightening her more than comforting. "Seeley!" she moved onto her son, hugging him with the same ferocious intensity.

"We're fine mom," he patted her back uncomfortably and she withdrew, her expression changing from that of concerned mother to one ready to scold.

"Where on Earth have you been?" James demanded "the school called and said you'd fainted Seeley and that when the nurse went to go and deal with an incident in the lunch hall you'd both gone,"

"It was nothing dad, really," he answered, stepping away from his mother as she watched him as if she thought he was about to collapse all over again.

Temperance watched the seeming staring competition going on between Booth and his father and with only a moment's hesitation she stepped forward "it was my idea," she smiled only slightly at Booth before turning back to look at James and Diana "I just… I needed to get out and…" she glanced at Booth who was staring at her "Seeley didn't want me to be alone after what happened last night," she paused "sorry,"

"I knew we shouldn't have sent them in," Diana threw at her husband as the suited man sat on the couch got to his feet to intervene, he was, after all, there for a reason.

"It doesn't matter," Booth said "we're fine, it was… it won't happen again,"

"Excuse me?" Agent Quinn said "sorry to interrupt but can I talk to you two please?"

Temperance's eyes immediately sought out Booth and she couldn't help how the butterflies in her stomach calmed as they found him already looking at her.

"Do you need us to…" James gestured to the hall and Quinn nodded, both parents left with a little nod.

"Do you want to take a seat?"

Booth thought it a little odd he was being asked if he wanted to take a seat in his own house but took residence on the couch with a curt smile at the police man, Temperance was slower to accept the offer however he did notice her rolling her eyes as he put his feet up on the coffee table.

Quinn sat down in an arm chair "Agent Quinn, we met last night," he held out his hand and let them both shake it in turn.

"Is that your car outside?" Booth asked suddenly.

"Yes," Quinn smiled "standard issue,"

"It's a cool car,"

Quinn laughed lightly "I'll let my boss know," then he turned serious "I just need to ask a few questions about last night, okay?"

"Okay,"

Temperance didn't say anything just watched Quinn with an intensity that had he not been used to it he would have found it very unnerving.

"Can you tell me what you did last night? Say from…"

"Mom and dad went out," Booth said "and I invited some friends over, they were there last night."

"We met Mattie in the park," Temperance interrupted.

"Yeah-"

"Mattie… Armstrong?" he checked his notebook.

Booth nodded "We were just hanging out at the park, and Mattie's dog ran off."

"B-Seeley and I chased after it, so did the others. We rolled down the bank where the… where… where they were and then Angela called nine-one-one."

Quinn nodded "Angela Montenegro?" of the nod "I'll be going over to the Montenegro's after I'm done here," he smiled encouragingly at them. "Now Temperance… I understand you're a foster child is that correct?"

Temperance stiffened and looked him straight in the eye "yes," her voice was clipped.

"What's wrong with that?" Booth demanded, his feet off the coffee table as he leaned forwards onto his knees.

If the man was startled he didn't show it "I just need to make sure the facts are straight, it's not of any real significance,"

Temperance nodded and relaxed some what.

"That's all for now guys, if I have anything to ask I'll drop by okay?"

Temperance nodded again and as he got to his feet asked the question that had been burning her mind since she had seen the car parked outside "have you identified them?"

Quinn licked his lips "not yet," he gave her a tight smile "we've got the best people in the country working on it though if Doctor Connors can't figure it out no one can,"

* * *

"Hey Bones," Booth asked as she left the bathroom, fully dressed but her hair hanging wet and un-brushed around her shoulders as she padded barefoot across the landing to her room where he waited in the doorway for a moment before going in and taking a seat on her bed as she stood in front of the mirror and started coming out the tangles in her hair.

"Yeah," she said quietly after a moment.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, plugging in the hairdryer and pausing a moment before turning it on and neither spoke for a few moments as she quickly dried her hair as best as she could.

"Mom and dad are still pissed we skipped school." He said as she put the hairdryer away.

"We probably shouldn't have left,"

He shrugged "maybe… that guy…"

"Which guy?"

"The one in the woods, the one who told us to 'skeedaddle'," he pulled a face at the word, obviously disapproving of it.

"What about him?"

"He was a bit weird don't you think?"

She shrugged, folding her arms.

"D'you think he did it?"

She was silent and turned to pick up her school bag, rummaging through it and made a show of checking her schedule, no homework and he knew it but maybe he'd take the hint and leave; he didn't.

"You sure you're okay?"

She paused and looked at him, an expression of contempt on her face before she spoke "do you think… I mean it's a possibility right?"

"What is?" he asked, completely confused.

"They could be my parents, the remains we found in the woods,"

He froze, and he was supposed to answer that how exactly? If they were, would it hit it harder if he told her no now and he was wrong or if he said yes, it was a possibility and they found it he was right? He settled for asking his own question "why would they be all the way out here?"

She shook her head "I don't know," she still didn't sound convinced though.

There was silence for a few minutes before she said "I'm kind tired, I think I'm going to bed,"

He nodded but didn't move and she gave him a pointed look, with a slightly sheepish 'oh' he got to his feet "listen… uh… if it is, and it probably isn't, but if it is you know that… you know, I mean Angela and the guys…" even after only a short space of time he knew she belonged there, how, he couldn't explain but it just… it felt _right_.

She seemed to understand though as she nodded.

He grinned "G'night Bones," he turned to leave.

"'night Booth," she replied "and Booth?"

He turned back "yeah?"

"Don't call me Bones,"

_Author's Notes: Well there's one chapter, only… loads to go lol._

_There is a Chapter-by-Chapter Plan on my livejournal (www. lexy-claire. livejournal. com) obviously remove spaces. The only thing I will request if you have anything you want to say about it, that is if you read it, can you please ensure that you don't mention in reviews what happens for people who don't want to have it spoiled, either email, pm, or comment on the post on my LJ. Thank You and I hope it's okay..._


	8. Covert Ops

_Author's Notes: It's so rare now that I can actually say in honesty that I'm in the mood to write Bones fictions. I have a few episode-related things in the making but I have __**way**__ to many things that are WIPs. So they could be a while but now that I'm on 'study leave' (last exam on Wednesday morning) and prom's over with (June 23) I should have a little more time to write. I think the major thing that put me off was when VirginMedia and Sky fell out and we ended up missing the vast majority of season 2 because it took a while to convince dad to swap us to Sky and then that just went horribly, __**horribly **__wrong._

Chapter 8: Covert Ops

"So what d'ya think of Movie Night then?" Seeley asked as he and Temperance walked across the school grounds, the throng of students doubling as the bell rang and people ended their conversations and began heading to homeroom.

Temperance shrugged "it was nice."

"Yeah," if ignored the slight distance in her voice "dad chose last night. S'my turn next week and I was thinking – hey, what kind of movie do _you _like?"

She blinked at him "I really don't mind; most things are fine by me,"

"C'mon, there has to be _something _you don't like. Action, horror, thriller, western, uh…" he counted them off his fingers "comedy, romance, chick-flick, fantasy, supernatural-"

"I really don't care," she laughed at his insistence "at all."

He cocked his head to one side "western's are cool." He said softly "and comedies. Not a fan of chick-flicks though."

"You're a guy Booth." She replied "I shouldn't think you would."

Booth looked at her for a second as if trying to assess whether or not she was poking fun at him and if he should be offended by it. Hodgins clapping him on the back to announce his presence as they got inside the building distracted him.

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed and off Booth's 'don't touch me' look he removed his hand from the other boy's shoulder "how's it going?"

"Fine." Booth replied, for some reason he felt a little resentful of Hodgins for interrupting them and he couldn't help but show it in his tone of voice.

Temperance slipped away from them and took her seat next to Angela, greeting her quietly. The lively young girl turned, immediately severing all conversation with a guy that Brennan had learnt earlier in the week was called Dwayne, and focussed her attention on her friend.

"Hey. How're you doing?" she spoke softly and her eyes were filled with concern.

Temperance was a little taken aback at how well this girl could read her. It seemed that even though they had known each other barely a week and she knew what was wrong with Brennan before she did, and given that no one had been able to do that since her parents disappeared purely because she hadn't _let _them it was a little unnerving.

Once more, Jack's presence prevented any continuation of conversation as he practically leapt into the seat in front of Angela "so I've got to baby sit for sparky tonight but my parent's are out of town so we could have a little-"

"Brennan's parents could be dead." Angela hissed defensively "show some compassion Jack for God's sake."

Jack looked at Temperance "sorry," he apologised meaningfully.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Angela asked.

Temperance couldn't understand her, no matter how hard she tried she just could not put her finger on what was going on with Angela. It was as if Jack had just suddenly started having a go at her about her parent's having disappeared and this time she was lucky enough to have not met anyone who knew and had a problem with it. Unlike in her previous school where every other kid was making snide remarks about her parent's disappearance.

"I'm fine Ange," she replied definitely, despite the fact that the notion that the bodies in the woods could very well _be _her parents was still nagging at the back of her mind. "So what were you thinking Jack?" she gave him a pointed look, willing Angela to follow example because she really wasn't in the mood to start talking about things.

Jack glanced at Angela as if seeking her approval but he caught himself, shook his head in dismissal and smiled at Temperance before continuing.

* * *

"So what time's his mom and dad getting back then?" Mack jerked his thumb at the boy playing by Angela's feet; perfectly content rushing cars back and forth across the patio.

Jack shrugged "they won't be back 'til late so he's spending the night,"

Mack nodded.

It was dark outside, or at least it was supposed to be but the lights coming from the main house and the ones lit around the pool were illuminating their area of the garden well enough for it to be mistaken for daylight. Jack flicked the volume control on the stereo at his feet and so the volume edged up slightly.

"Hey!" Temperance exclaimed when water splashed up from the pool and landed on her book a she sat curled up in one of the garden chairs, engrossed in a novel that no one had been able to catch the title of "Booth!"

Seeley grinned at her, folding his arms on the pool side and resting his chin on his hands he cocked his head to one side as the warm water lapped at his back and the sides of the pool "yeah Bones?"

She scowled at him "don't call me Bones," she hissed, eyes narrowing.

He smirked, "why don't you get in the water?"

"Because I don't want too," she answered "and I don't have a costume with me,"

"I told you to bring one Bones," he sighed exasperatedly.

"And I told you to stop calling me that," she retorted, satisfied by his momentary silence she went back to her book, biting her lip to stop herself smiling.

Seeley glanced at Hodgins and Mack, ignoring them as they then gave each other what could only be describe as knowing looks before he turned back to Temperance. Heaving himself up onto the poolside he stood right in front of her and waited until she looked up; clearly annoyed by his parrot imitation.

"What?" she snapped.

"Come on," he took the book from her hands and threw it to Angela who caught it immediately.

"Give it back," she held out her hands to the other girl who smiled delightedly and shook her head, dark curls trembling as she did so, "Angela…"

"Get in the pool,"

Temperance looked back at him "no,"

"Get, in, the, pool," he said slowly, over pronouncing each word.

"I'd do it sweetie," Angela offered her word of advice.

Temperance shook her head "I'm going home," she went to pick up her jacket and tried to reassure herself that it was only because he'd caught her off guard that Booth had then managed to pick her up and sling her over his shoulder. "Put me down!" and her voice did _not _sound at all squeaky when she said that, not at all.

Seeley said nothing and Temperance wasn't sure whether she was angry or embarrassed by the peals of laughter echoing from the others as he carried he all the way to the deep end of the pool.

"Seeley-" she was ashamed to say that she screamed when Booth jumped into the water and they both went hurtling into the depths at a speed she wasn't sure she liked. Swimming to the surface and brushing her hair back from her face she glared at him "you son of a bitch," she hissed. Only getting more annoyed when he clutched at the pool ladder because he was laughing to hard to tread water at the same time. She had no choice but to swim to the side when the weight of her clothes began pulling her down and the effort to stay at the surface was becoming tiring.

"You okay?" Seeley asked when the laughter finally died down and he was able to speak again.

"So now you care?" she retorted sarcastically, then off his look "I'm fine,"

He reached over and pulled the zipper of her jacket down, going to tug it off her shoulders he was surprised to find his hands pushed away and an indignant expression fixed on her.

"What're you doing?"

"You'll sink if you keep all that on,"

"So you want me to strip?"

"No," his eyes twinkled, "jacket, shoes, socks, just keep on the minimum," and this time when he went to pull of her jacket she let him.

"You two all right over there?" Jack called out as Temperance's jacket landed with a wet thud on the poolside.

"We're fine," Seeley called back as somehow Temperance managed to shuck her shoes and socks without actually getting out of the pool.

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed some minutes later.

"What?" Mack asked.

Jack shook his head to delay him "Brennan, Booth! Get back here!"

Temperance and Seeley shared a look before they dived under the water and raced to the shallow end of the pool, catching the towels Mack tossed them as they climbed out.

"So those bodies in the woods-"

"Jack," Angela sighed in warning.

"Hear me out," Jack replied earnestly "they could be your parents right?"

Temperance shrugged and shifted her hold on the towel around her shoulders trying to resist the urge to stare far longer than necessary at her foster brother as he seemed far to eager to flaunt himself at every given opportunity.

"Right," Mack prompted when there was silence.

"So why don't we try and find out something,"

"What'd you mean?" Temperance's head shot up to fix him with a piercing look.

"Our own investigation?" Mack said "I don't know dude, I mean what're we likely to find out?"

Jack shrugged "hell if I know. It'd be something to do though,"

"There's no point going back to the crime scene," Seeley piped up as he wrapped the towel around his waist "we went back earlier in the week – there's nothing there,"

"So we go to the police station," Jack answered, seemingly unfazed by what he was suggesting, "there's bound to be something their not telling us and if it is your parents," his eyes glassed over for a second in sympathy "then you have a right to know whatever they do,"

Mack and Seeley shared a look and it seemed to be on of agreement before Seeley turned to Temperance "what'd you think?"

"Sure," Temperance answered quietly "we've got nothing to loose by having a look,"

"Woah, guys you're talking about stealing police records here," Angela cut them off, "and that's illegal,"

"We not going to steal them," Seeley said, his tone almost-maybe-hinting that her comment had been unnecessarily stupid. "We'll have a look at them, see what they say, if they say nothing then we've lost nothing, if they do say something then we'll be more in the know than we are now,"

"This is insane,"

"No one said you had to help Angela," Jack grinned at her.

"Oh I'm helping," Angela assured him "even if only to make sure none of you get arrested,"

"And how are you going to stop them arresting us if we get caught?"

"I can be _very_ charming," Angela gave Jack a smug look and didn't continue allowing him to draw his own conclusions from that sentence.

"What about Zack?" Temperance pointed at the boy watching them with wide blue eyes that flicked from each of them before settling on her with an adoration in his eyes that made her uncomfortable "we can't just leave him here,"

"So we take him with us," Jack said, "man do you have to do that out here?" he looked at Seeley as he proceeded to get changed.

"I'm wearing a towel," he defended as he pulled on his shorts, smirking at Temperance who immediately turned her back on him even though she could feel the familiar burning sensation at the back of her neck as he watched her do so.

Jack rolled his eyes, "you'll come with us won't you sparky?"

Zack nodded "defin… yes," he said when he realised he couldn't quite find a way to get the longer word to leave his mouth.

Jack put up his hands in a gesture that unmistakably said 'I'm a genius'.

Seeley looked at his watch as he finished getting dressed and put it around his wrist "we're due home in an hour,"

"So we'll call Round Robin," Mack said, pulling out his cell phone.

"Round Robin?" Temperance asked as Booth sidled up along side her, shoving his towel and swimming trunks in his bag.

"We'll all call our parents and say we're sleeping round someone else's house. I'll call mom in a minute and tell her I'm sleeping at Mack's and that you're at Angela's, Jack doesn't need to worry about it 'cause his parents are out of town, Mack'll say he's at ours and Angela will say she's at Jack's,"

"Am I to assume you've done this before?" she raised an eyebrow at how easily that seemed to roll off his tongue.

"A few times," he smiled "it just means that if any one of us gets found out then it's less likely that we all will. When we're done we'll all sleep here and go home in the morning,"

"None of us have anything with us," she pointed out seriously.

"Bones," he took her by the shoulders and aimed her in the direction of the house "see that? It's a manor – Hodgin's must have about a hundred rooms in there,"

"I highly doubt…" she shivered and wasn't able to say anything more as she was ushered into the house by Angela as she had apparently finished calling her father.

"You need to get changed," Angela said as she led the way upstairs; she certainly seemed to know where she was going.

"I don't have any dry clothes with me,"

"No," Angela pushed open a door and went straight to the bedside, picking up a duffel and putting it on the bed "but I do,"

"Why do you have clothes here?"

"I spent half of last summer here," she thrust an outfit, shoes included, at Temperance "here,"

"Thanks," Temperance said.

"No problem," Angela grinned back "I'll wait outside,"

_Author's Notes: And the chapter plan has changed as I said it would, this was going to be a little too long so I've cut it off here and… yeah. Basically as I said before, don't rely entirely on the plan if you've read it, if you haven't then this note serves no purpose!_


	9. Get up and Go

_Author's Notes: The street name is just made up! I am also aware of how much of a mockery it is that they manage to complete their 'mission' without getting caught!_

Chapter 9: Get up and Go

"So where'd you kids wanna go then?" the cab driver said, glancing in the rear view mirror as the group piled in.

Seeley contemplated saying to take them to police station and was about to say just that when Jack cut him off, "Ashgrove Place," he said, silencing Mack with a glare when the other boy gave him a strange look and Angela lifted Zack to sit on her lap; it was a tight squeeze in the car and Temperance could only hope that Ashgrove Place – wherever that was – wasn't far.

"Right-ho," the driver said, turning the key in the ignition after a second and pulling out.

* * *

Jack handed the cab driver the fare and turned back to face his friends as he drove away. 

"Don't you have drivers?" Seeley teased and Jack chose to ignore him.

"Why are we here?" Angela asked, taking Zack's hand in hers and refusing to let go even when he wriggled and tried to get away; wandering the streets of a town at night was not the ideal hangout for a six year old.

Jack looked at her as if she was stupid "if we were taken to the station then there'd be questions; if we're going to do this we need to be as inconspicuous as possible,"

Seeley gave him a tense nod and gave Temperance a sarcastic look.

"It's not far, if we cut through there," he pointed to an alleyway between a garage and a bush "we'll end up on the main road, three quarters of a mile after that we're at the police station,"

Deciding that they were wasting enough time as it was Mack spoke up "let's go then," he gestured for Jack to follow the path he had pointed out, and with a very put upon sigh that made no sense given that the whole plan was his idea anyway he did as prompted.

* * *

"There we are," Jack said with a flourish "now," his eyes sparkled with delight "we need a plan," 

"Go and ask?" Temperance shrugged quietly.

He gave her a sarcastic look "for what?"

"Information," she said, completely thrown by what he was trying to say.

"They're not just gonna hand it over," Mack stopped his friend from saying what looked to be a snapped reply of impatient intolerance.

Angela handed her charge off to Seeley, who looked more than slightly disgruntled to have the tiny hand shoved into his with no finesse whatsoever and a pointed look from the dark haired girl as she crossed the parking lot. Keeping to the shadows but at the same time trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible, no one said anything until she returned a minute later. "Three on duty." She said "one at the desk, another just headed off to the cells and the third just went for a cigarette."

Jack nodded, momentarily amazed by her before he caught himself staring and shook his head in a way that was meant to look non committal but had Mack smirking behind his hand. "I'll distract the one at the desk," he said "Winters you got the kid,"

Seeley gladly handed Zack over.

"Brennan," Jack clapped his hands together and turned to her "you keep an eye out front for the one on the break. Booth you and Angela look for the files,"

They all nodded and slowly filtered into their positions; Temperance took point at the door, Mack took Zack to stand by a tree nearer the police building but not close enough that they could be seen so long as they stayed still and didn't stray to far out of the shadow. Seeley and Angela stood by the door on the opposite side to Temperance, peering inside to watch as Jack walked up to the desk.

Temperance was surprised to see his demeanour change completely as he entered the building, and she had to hand it to him; the guy was a great actor, his hands alternated from resting in his pockets and fiddling with the zipper on his jacket. The smug expression that had taken up residence on his face as soon as they had agreed to the 'mission' had melted away and was replaced by darting eyes, lips pressed thinly together and looking for all the world like a terrified twelve year old – for that was all the combination of his general stature to his physical height would give him.

Seeley glanced away from Hodgins for a second, smiling at Temperance in half sympathy half encouragement and then almost stumbled when Angela seized his wrist and pulled him forwards at Jack's signal.

He winked at Jack as he and Angela crept into the building, but the curly haired boy paid him no heed, nodding and shaking his head appropriately to the concerned officer's questions, he took the proffered glass of water and the seat offered to him with the officer crouched in front of him. Neither Angela nor Seeley could pick up on what was being said.

Seeley pointed at the computer and Angela nodded, tapping several keys and disabling the security camera pointing at the desk.

She cringed as the keys to the locked filing cabinet jangled in her hands when she picked them up, however it would seem that the policeman was far to engrossed in dealing with Jack to notice. She deftly unlocked the cabinet as Seeley scoured the desk.

She flicked through the files, her stomach churning with anticipation but she couldn't help but feel excited about it all. She felt a wave of sadness when instead of moving an entire folder her finger got caught in the middle of one and she caught sight of the words 'Male child, age four and a half, taken from home on 17 November 2006' she lifted the filed out, eyes flitting down the page and had to stifle a half-gasp, half sob when she flicked the page to find the autopsy report and colour images of the beaten and broken body of the child, found back in his head by his ten-year-old sister on Christmas morning that same year when she had gone to put her present on the bed for him to open when he returned.

"You got something?" Seeley whispered, stepping over to her.

She snapped the file shut and replaced it, nauseated and light headed "no. Nothing,"

Seeley raised an eyebrow at her but she ignored the imploring gaze piercing the back of her head and continued searching, only stopping when she pulled out the manila file entitled 'Jane and John Doe. Case Number 728491. Chief Investigator: Special Agent Ben Quinn. FBI'

Glancing only briefly at their cover she lay the file open on the desk, pulled her cell phone from her pocket and began taking pictures of each of the sheets, uncaring as to what was on them and hovering for only a second longer on the photographs of the skeletal remains of Mr and Mrs Doe. Seeley's hand on her back jerked her out of her reverie and she put the phone back in her pocket, closed the file and handed it to Seeley who put it back in the drawer and closed it.

He looked pointedly at Jack as Angela reconnected the security camera and they both snuck back outside.

* * *

It seemed like a lifetime stood in the chilling darkness of the police station parking lot waiting for Jack to tactfully – if that word even existed in his vocabulary – escape the clutches of Officer-whatever-his-name was. 

Zack was hopping from foot to foot, grinning like a loon as he, yet again, pushed the sleeves of Mack's sweatshirt away from his hands. The older boy shuddered as the breeze picked up but given that the child was smaller and most definitely less capable of enduring the cold, however mild it was, Mack had given up his only source of warmth in order to kept he boy quiet.

"You okay?" Seeley asked Temperance, his voice hushed.

"Yes," she answered quickly, rubbing her arms to aid her circulation.

He thought he should say something else but he wasn't sure what, he glanced at Angela but she was staring at the police station with such intensity it was as if she expected it to get up and walk away should she divert her gaze. The image amused him until Jack came walking back over.

"What did you-?" Mack asked but Jack barely stopped at the group was forced to skip a step to keep up.

"Gave him the slip," he answered vaguely "come on," ghosting back into the alleyway they had cut through before and heading straight back to the bus stop, he grew agitated by how slow his friends were walking "do you want them to follow us?" he hissed, and when that didn't get them moving he added "last bus leaves in a minute and a half,"

* * *

Angela's phone bleeped as she connected it to Jack's computer, as she began the download of images she said "Zack honey, I think you need to be going to bed now don't you?" 

He blinked blearily and shook his head in a sluggish fashion "not tir'd" he yawned.

Angela smiled "can you…?" she gestured for Mack to finish what she had started regarding the computer but he shook his head "Mack…" she said pleadingly.

He laughed and put up his hands "seriously Ange, I'm a menace with a computer – last one I touched caught fire,"

Seeley could not help but laugh as he remembered that particular incident, if the sparking computer screen hadn't been enough, Mack's flustered explanation as to exactly _why _it had done that was even more amusing. Temperance shot him a strange look and he straightened his face and chose to ignore the curious raised eyebrow.

"Bren can you?"

Temperance nodded, taking her friend's vacated seat.

By the time that Angela had returned, sans the six year old and with a tray of hot chocolates the pictures had both finished downloading and printed out.

"Okay," Seeley grabbed the makeshift replica of the police file before Jack could "what've we got…"

Temperance plucked the first sheet from him "this file isn't going to be complete," she said "it's only the police copy. The FBI will have the full report," she glanced at the sheet she had taken before handing it back to her disgruntled foster brother.

"They'll still have to send some of the info to the cop shop," Mack said "not all of it but some. Only reason they would have to withhold the information would be if it were a state of National Security and it would be all over the news if it was,"

There was silence for the next few minutes as Seeley looked over the file, pausing here and there to read certain paragraphs.

"So?" Angela said impatiently.

Seeley swallowed and looked sadly at Temperance "it doesn't say that they're _not _your parents,"

Temperance snatched the file from him herself, took her time to read through it and felt her chest tighten as more and more of the information and evidence found was determined to be congruent with her own knowledge.

"Tempe?" Mack said gently, the first to speak.

She was silent.

"Hey," Seeley knocked her arm "Bones?"

She blinked hard, her hair creating a kind of veil of privacy as she swallowed and forced back the tears. She looked up "I'd like to go back to the house now," she said, looking at Seeley but avoiding eye contact with any of them.

"You can't," Jack sputtered "you called-"

Seeley silenced him with a glare, nodded to Mack and Angela, picked up his discarded jacket and the bag containing the wet clothes and towels from the earlier swim and lead Temperance from the room.

* * *

Seeley put his empty glass by the sink, a piece of toast in his other hand as he headed to the hall "Tempe!" he yelled "you coming?" 

"Not today," his mother said as she came downstairs, her hair still damp from the shower "she's not feeling well," she touched his arm gently as she passed and went into the lounge.

Inwardly Seeley cursed himself, maybe last night hadn't been such a good idea… but that file didn't say that the remains _were_ that of her parents. The reports and everything else in there had just fitted the profile… however they _didn't _fit in just as many ways as they did. You just had to look at it objectively… okay that probably wasn't entirely right word to use.

He hesitated a moment before deciding to go upstairs himself. Knocking on the door to his foster sister's room and barely giving her a second to answer before he walked in.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, then "what?"

"Mom said you were sick," he answered, voice accusatory.

"So you decided to come barging in and check for yourself?" she snapped back.

"You're not,"

"You're quick,"

His eyes narrowed and then his face fell when his gaze landed on her packed schoolbag, full to the seams and not shut yet. "what's that?"

She didn't answer.

"Bones…"

"Don't call me that," she replied on reflex, moving over to the open bag and forcing it shut with some difficulty before going over to the nightstand and picking up the money that was on there and tucking into her jacket pocket, alongside her cell phone, a pair of earrings and a pack of gum.

"You're leaving!" he accused.

Again she didn't reply and Seeley almost jumped as James called up the stairs "we're off to work, have a nice day Seeley," followed by quiet chatter that followed them both out of the door.

"You can't just leave!"

"Watch me," she said, putting the bag on her back and taking a step towards the door only to be blocked by Seeley "excuse me,"

"Where're you gonna go?"

She glared at him "please move," she said tightly.

"No," he crossed his arms over his chest defiantly "not until you explain,"

She sighed "please Booth…"

He just looked at her.

Temperance sighed "I need to leave,"

"Why?"

"They could be my parents Booth!" she exclaimed "and if… if they are…"

"Running away won't tell you anything. We've done what we can-"

"No." she said "I have to know what happened to them. I have too…" she swallowed "I need to know Seeley," she implored "you have to understand that,"

He was silent for several minutes and Temperance almost felt uncomfortable under his steady gaze but just as she was about to ask him to look away he spoke "fine,"

"What?"

"Fine," he repeated, then a little louder "but I'm going with you,"

"What?" she hissed "no!" she pushed passed him, opened her bedroom door and made it to the stairs before he said anything else.

"If you leave on your own then I'll just have to call the police," off her look "you're still a ward of the state aren't you?" he cringed as she flinched at the reminder "sorry," he added hastily "please Bones,"

"I can't let you-" she closed her eyes and swallowed before opening them again "Booth-" she was quiet, his insistence made her falter.

He smiled "you don't have a choice,"

_Author's Notes: I go on holiday for three weeks at the end of the month so there isn't going to be any updates for quite a while._

_Please review!_


	10. Text Message

_Author's Notes: There've been a series of reviews/pms with people telling me things like 'there were no cell phones in 1994' and 'how can Goodman be the same age as them?' 'But Brennan's older than Angela'. Good points yes, but this is AU (not to mention fanfiction), which means it's set now (demonstrated in Chapter 9 with the case file Angela comes across, dated '2006') and that I can place the characters wherever I want age-wise. If I can get away with putting them all in the same school (especially when it's mentioned in season 1 that they all went to different schools) then I don't think the rest really matters. I'm sorry if that caused any confusion at the beginning but I hope it's okay now and that you can enjoy the rest of the story._

Chapter 10: Text Message

"So we're exactly are we headed?" Seeley asked, duffel thrown over one shoulder as he turned the key in the lock and pocketed it.

She gave him a funny look. His expression was deadly serious but there was just something about the way he had said that, that made her wonder whether or not he was just humouring her; waiting for her to back down and decide that maybe running away wasn't such a good idea in the first place.

Only she would hardly call it running away, more… investigating. Besides, you have to have somewhere to run either too or from. She didn't, not anymore, most of her belongings were in her bag, the rest she could live without, she had no destination and she didn't really have a home. The Booths was nice, pleasant almost but it wouldn't last, they never did. Six months, four names, Patrick, Swanson, O'Connor and Gardiner, wouldn't be long before those four became five, five became six, six became seven –

"Hey," Seeley waved his hand in front of her face "Earth to Bones,"

Temperance swatted his hand away, "what?"

"Where're we going?"

"I…"

"No pressure," he said, as if he thought he'd pushed too hard "I was just wondering, we could just walk for a while – see where we end up,"

She nodded, she couldn't conjure a reason to argue with him, and it gave her time to think.

They walked in companionable silence, the roads were quiet; scarcely a soul in sight, and for one bizarre – and incredibly paranoid moment – Temperance felt like everyone was watching them from behind their lace white blinds.

She was yet to figure out why Booth was with her, his life was fine, normal even, he had friends, a family… the most stressful thing in his life was probably whether to watch Saturday-morning cartoons or study for finals. So why was he following her? He'd known her what… less than a month, why abandon all that for someone he barely knew?

"What're you thinking about?" he asked softly as they rounded the corner, she stumbled on the soft verge and he caught her arm, steadying her easily.

"Nothing," she answered reflexively, stepping out of reach and crossing the road, barely even looking for traffic.

He followed "you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied tersely.

"Look, you don't have too-"

"I'm doing this," she whirled around to face him "I'm doing this and I don't care if you come with me or not. I can't for one second imagine why you would want too but then again you're hardly what I would describe as the average person so you can do whatever you want too do but please," she paused, "stop asking me questions,"

He put his hands up in defence "that's cool," he answered "I just thought that… you know, I'd tell you that mom and dad really like you and…" he cut himself off under her steely gaze "okay," he said "okay,"

* * *

The woods were, once more, dark, as if an eerie reminder of the crime that had been committed there. Even the air felt damp, and the only sounds were that of their breathing, which sounded absurdly loud, she shivered as a light breeze flicked through the trees, playing with her hair and tickling her neck. She reached into her pocket for her gloves; her hands numb and fingers fumbling as she tried to retrieve them. 

"Bones look out!"

Temperance span around in time to see a dark figure disappear back into the shadows, she stepped backwards, tugging her gloves on as she did so. She jumped when her back hit her companions, she almost let out a shrill squeak but Seeley clapped his hand over her mouth, she grabbed his wrist and pulled it away.

"Shh!" he hissed.

"Why?" she replied "whoever it is knows we're here,"

"We need to leave," Seeley said, scanning the area for a stick or small branch, _something_ he could use if they had to defend themselves.

She turned to face him "I already-"

Something hit her between the shoulder blades, sending her sprawling to the ground, stars dancing in front of her eyes as she tried to push herself back up, another blow and the stars faded to nothing, blackness overcoming her as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Seeley yelled, dodging their attacker clumsily, backing up as fast as he could, panic rising and reaching its peak as he hit a trunk. Trapped between the masked-man and the tree he squeezed his eyes shut and pressed himself instinctively further into the tree, as if hoping that it would protect him when he was eventually hit. Muscles tense and his heart hammering in his throat he flinched as a loud bang ricocheted through the woodland, there was a series of clicks and rustling leaves as a further two bangs sounded. It was several seconds before he dared open his eyes, and when he did he was surprised to see the 'skeedaddle' man standing there, wielding a shotgun.

"What the…?" he whispered breathlessly.

The man hobbled over to him, two callous-rough fingers gripped his chin and Seeley resisted the urge to recoil as his head was turned from side to side, before the man clapped his shoulder and asked "ye all righ' boy?"

"I'm," he swallowed "I'm fine,"

"No yer not," the man said gruffly, limping back over to where Seeley saw Temperance was lying.

"Bones!" he exclaimed, rushing forwards and falling to his knees besides his fallen friend, rolling her onto her back he patted her cheek lightly "Bones… Tempe… wake up…"

The man leaned his gun up against the nearest tree and crouched down beside them, knees creaking as he pulled a canteen from his belt, Temperance came round just as he was unscrewing the cap "here ya are love," he said, holding the bottle out.

She blinked at him and Seeley gave him an incredulous look, as if he wasn't sure what to think.

"Go on," he said, sighing and pressing it into her hand "it ain't poisoned,"

Tentatively she pushed herself into a sitting position, biting back a cry of pain as she did so. She sipped the canteen cautiously, but once satisfied that it was only water she took several dip sips before handing it back.

"Ye okay?"

She nodded but cut herself off, shaking her head when the motion made her head spin.

The man pushed himself to his feet "I like 'er," he said to Seeley, gesturing at Temperance "she tells the truth." He fixed the canteen back to his belt, picked up his shotgun and gave the duo an expectant look "well come on then, cannee have ye lying out here in the open can I?"

Temperance and Seeley shared a look as the man started shuffling away.

* * *

They stood in the doorway to the cabin, the inside blissfully warm compared to the way it felt outside, of course the roaring fire in the corner might have had something to do with that. 

"'Ere," the man said, holding out two coarse blankets, a cigar resting between his lips as he spoke.

"Uh…" Temperance started, taking one of the blankets for herself as Seeley took the other.

"C'mon in," he let out a puff of smoke as he settled into the armchair closest to the burning furnace "yer lettin' all the heat out,"

Seeley shut the door, glancing at Temperance carefully.

There was silence for a long while, the man was staring at the fire contemplatively, smoking his cigar dutifully and tapping ash onto a saucer at his elbow. During that time both Seeley and Temperance managed to edge their way forwards, coming to a halt at the couch and warily sitting down.

The man looked up, looking from the unused blankets to the two teenagers holding them "ah dinna give yer them for yer to stare at." He smirked as the boy practically fell off the couch trying to hastily wrap the blanket around his shoulders, the girl took a moment longer but did the same at a much slower pace.

"Who are you?" Temperance asked as the man finished his cigar and flicked the stub into the fire.

"Jeffrey,"

"Jeffrey…" Seeley prompted.

The man got to his feet, rummaging through something on the mantle piece "just Jeffrey,"

"That it? No last name?" Temperance asked, blinking when the man stared at her.

Jeffrey re-took his seat "so what's yer names then?"

"I'm…" Seeley hesitated "I'm Tony and this is Roxie,"

Jeffrey raised his eyebrows, sighing and looking at Temperance expectantly.

"Seeley and Temperance," she supplied, ignoring Seeley as he elbowed her sharply in the ribs.

Jeffrey gave Seeley a look "see?" he said "the truth," he relaxed back into his chair, crossing his legs and drumming his fingers absently on his knees "so what'cha doin' all the way out 'ere?"

Silence.

"Well?" Jeffrey prompted "c'mon, I ain't gonna judge ya. What was it? Drugs? Sex? Beer?"

"No!" Seeley exclaimed, "we were…"

Temperance picked up where he left off "we were going for a walk,"

Jeffrey snorted "I ain't stupid," he said, although he sounded more amused than offended "I seen ye before,"

They both stiffened.

"Easy kids," he said "I ain't gonna hurt ya, wouldn't saved yer asses if I wan'ed to do that would I? Ain't nothing I hate more than child killers,"

"We're… uh…"

Jeffrey nodded curtly "yer runnin' away," he said.

It was strange – and kind of creepy – how he could figure out so much. Neither of them said anything.

"Why though? Ye look like nice kids. Ye get grounded? Pocket money stopped? Yer daddy get drunk and kick ye out?"

Seeley's eyes narrowed "c'mon Temperance," he said, getting to his feet and holding out his hand "let's go,"

"My parents are missing," Temperance said, without looking at either Jeffrey or Seeley "I'm going to find them,"

Jeffrey frowned, glancing at Seeley.

"She's my foster sister," the teen replied, sitting back down, albeit reluctantly.

"Ahh," Jeffrey said thoughtfully "and ye think that them folks they found out 'ere, are yers,"

Temperance gave no indication that she heard him, never mind cared what he'd said. Another silence followed that was interrupted by a sharp beep, Seeley pulled his cell phone from his pocket, flipping it open and reading the message.

_'Where are you? Ms Jessup said Bren's sick. Angela. x'_

Ignoring the stares he could feel on him he replied: '_We're fine, we'll be back soon. Don't worry. Seeley.'_

"Anyone interestin'?" Jeffrey asked, a smile tugging at his thin lips.

Seeley ignored him and looked at Temperance "Angela,"

The quiet that followed was comfortable, or at least as comfortable as it could be, Jeffrey stoked the fire, lit another cigar and didn't say another word. Neither did anyone else.

_Author's Notes: Short but… it's here :P Please review!_


	11. Irrefutable

_Author's Notes: I keep neglecting this fiction and I really, really shouldn't :P I just thought I'd say that I'm sorry but can't promise it won't happen again but that I will definitely (one day…!) finish it :) Any inaccuracies (i.e. where they are) are because I can't remember from the show and with everything else that's changed with this fiction it being an AU and all, it's not worth trailing through DVDs to find out… sorry. :P_

Chapter 11: Irrefutable

The girl wore pigtails and kept her head down as she walked through the maze of desks to the front of the classroom, handing the folded piece of paper to the teacher and dashing out of the room, jacket sleeves pulled down over her fingers and her hands clamped into fists.

"Angela Montenegro?" Mr. Bell said, unfolding the slip of paper "you need to go the Principal's office,"

Angela frowned but smiled sweetly at her classmates when the oh-so-clichéd murmur of 'ooo' flitted across the room "now sir?"

"Yes please," Mr. Bell said, flicking his fringe from his eyes and picking up his poetry book again "now as I was saying, Shakespeare writes frequently using sonnets," he nodded in acknowledgement as Angela gathered her things and moved to the door "can anyone tell me what a sonnet is?"

The door shut softly behind her, drowning out the noise of the classroom.

"Ange!" Jack's voice echoed down the hall as he jogged to catch up with her, "You get called out too?"

"Yeah," she said, falling into step beside him, and playing idly with her long beaded necklace "any idea why?"

"No," he said, as they went down the stairs and turned right, then left, coming to a stop outside the big red door that said 'Principal's Office' in big letters "bet it's got something to do with Booth and Brennan though," it had been nearly two days since the duo had last been in school, two days in which James and Diana were beside themselves with worry, vicious and completely insane rumours had begun to fly.

Angela rolled her eyes and knocked on the door swiftly, a second later a voice called "come in," and she and Jack stepped into the room.

"Miss Montenegro," Principal Greyson smiled at two of them "Mr Hodgins; how are you today?"

"Fine thank you sir," Angela replied almost stiffly as she discreetly stood on Jack's toes to stop him saying something witty and potentially inappropriate "is there something we can do for you?"

Greyson went to say something but there was another knock and a timid glance around the door as Mack and Mattie came into the room as well. The Principal gestured them in with an encouraging smile "Mr Winters, Miss Armstrong," he beckoned the four teenagers closer to his desk "do you want to take a seat?" he smiled as they took him up on the offer.

"Sir…" Angela started, being the most forward of the group "if you don't mind-"

Greyson smiled again "there's nothing to be worried about Angela," he said gently "there's simply someone here to see you about the disappearance of your friends,"

As if on cue, Agent Quinn strolled into the room, he seemed slightly breathless as picked up the only remaining spare seat and put it next to the Principal's desk "hi guys," he said, trying to be friendly but not lose his FBI bravado at the same time.

"Agent Quinn," Mack said, frowning a little "what's going on?"

"I just need to ask you some questions about your friends… Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan-"

"Why're the FBI involved?" Jack said, attempting to sound much more confident than he had the right to be "so they haven't turned up for school in a couple of days-"

Greyson's eyes narrowed "as far as I am aware Mr Hodgins, you and your friends happened upon a rather gruesome murder scene not to long ago. The FBI were called into that case and-"

Quinn cut him off. He didn't have time for explanations; the first twenty-four hours after a kidnapping were most important and they'd already wasted that time because the conclusion had been that it hadn't been a kidnapping, that they'd just run away but he wasn't taking any chances. "James and Diana Booth left for work at a quarter past eight Thursday morning, Temperance was to stay home sick and Seeley was to go to school. When the parents got home that night neither of them was there, further more there has been no contact, no note and no sight of either Seeley or Temperance since."

"So what do you need to know?" Mack asked, leaning forward in his seat, glancing at Jack pointedly as the other boy opened his mouth to say something that was more than likely crass or inappropriate.

"Have any of you been in contact with them since Thursday morning? Text messages, emails, phone calls…?"

Mack shook his head "I've had nothin'," he settled back in his seat "Mattie you had anything?"

Mattie shook her head "no sir," she addressed the FBI agent with a kind of meek duck of her head.

Jack folded his arms and shook his head "nope,"

There was a moment's silence "Miss Montenegro?" Principal Greyson prompted "what about you?"

Angela jumped out of her reverie, remembering the text she had gotten from Seeley two days ago _'we're fine, we'll be back soon. Don't worry. S. x' _She should tell Agent Quinn and Principal Greyson that she had, she should tell them about the message but that could land her friends in a whole lot of trouble and as much as she knew what she _should _do, she couldn't. She may have only known Brennan a short while, but she'd known Seeley since Kindergarten and somehow she knew that neither one of them would have left without good reason. "I haven't either,"

"Are you _sure?_" Quinn pressed "because if you have… no one's going to get in trouble, but if something has happened to either of them then we need to know so we can make sure that their safe,"

Angela swallowed "I'm sure," she replied; she could lie, definitely, she was an artist, she was good at bending the truth. They were safe, she knew that, because if they weren't she'd know that too… she just had to hope that her phone wouldn't be taken away to be examined because it hadn't occurred to her to delete the messages yet.

* * *

"Yer've been here two days," Jeffrey announced over breakfast.

Seeley glanced at Temperance nervously, she sipped her glass of water and studied the woodland man with careful blue eyes.

"And?" she said, swallowing.

Jeffrey shrugged "don't get many visitors 'round 'ere,"

Temperance nodded and silence reigned for several long minutes until a chime notified them all that Seeley's phone had gone off.

"Sorry," he mumbled, pulling it out of his pocket and flicking it open.

'_Where are you?! Quinn's been asking questions and I had to __lie__ and say I hadn't had any messages!! When are you coming home?? Angela. x'_

Tapping in the reply as quickly as possible as he caught sight of the flashing symbol in the corner of the screen Seeley replied; _'We're fine, thnx 4 covering 4 us. Be back asap – battery's dying, cant txt bk, don't hav charger. S. x' _he hit send, muttering a mantra under his breath that the phone had enough power to send the text, sure enough the sign 'message delivered to Angela M. at 10.27AM' flickered on the display not two seconds before the screen went black.

"I'm out of charge," he told his foster-sister.

"Got a socket out back," Jeffrey said "ye can use it if yer want,"

Seeley shook his head "forgot my charger,"

Jeffrey shook his head and Temperance nodded dolefully, glancing over at her bag in the corner of the room where her own phone was stashed.

"So what're a couple high school kids like you doing all the way out here?"

Neither one of them answered.

"C'mon," the man almost wheedled "I've given yer food, water, a bed to sleep in the least ye can do is tell a man why yer ain't tucked up warm in yer own little houses worrying over finals and who to take to prom,"

Temperance and Seeley shared a look.

"I'm looking for my parents," she said suddenly.

"Well yer ain't gonna find 'em all the way out here love," Jeffrey chortled, pulling a cigar from his pocket and lighting it "yer better of goin' to them pretty boys in DC for that,"

Her eyes narrowed and the expression they forged must have been ominous because he back pedalled.

"Lookie little girl, I ain't meanin' no disrespect, alls I'm sayin' is maybes the FBI's got a better chance of finding 'em than you two do,"

"The FBI isn't trying hard enough," she countered.

She knew that sounded almost petulant but it was true; if they'd been trying then her parents would have been found by now but they weren't and so it was up to her to act out of character and do something rash because then maybe 'the pretty boys in DC' might just _listen_ and do something about the fact two people had just disappeared into thin air, leaving her and her brother to fend for themselves.

Russ had gone west looking for work and that left her to be thrust into the cold hands of the American foster system and she'd be damned if she was jut going to sit back and play house with a family she knew nothing about and who knew nothing about her in return.

"So why out here then?" Jeffrey asked, pondering the thought, he was a rough man; he lived in the woods because society rejected him and he rejected society because of various refusals to conform to the norm and perform ridiculous niceties just to make the neighbours smile and pretend to give two shits whether you live or died.

He lived out here because it was quiet and he could do what he wanted when he wanted and there was no one around to turn up their nose or call the police because he had a shotgun in his woodshed, and another in his living room, one in the bedroom and a pistol in the bathroom cabinet. He was armed because everyone else was as well, he just had the decency to let everyone know that he had the weapon rather than pull it on some poor, unsuspecting old lady in the checkout line in the grocery store because she had a hundred dollars in her purse.

"The bodies that were found…" Temperance started, cutting Seeley off because he would either lie or say something stupid and even in the two days they'd been staying there, Jeffrey and Seeley had already come to loggerheads more than once "they could be my parents,"

Jeffrey nodded, taking a long puff of his cigar and absently blowing a hoop from pursed lips as he contemplated the thought "if there dead love, it ain't gonna do no good you staying out here,"

"I know that," she replied honestly "but if it's them I need to know,"

"Surely ye can just wait for the forensic report from the boys in black?"

She could but that would take too long, she needed to be proactive, to do something, maybe she could find Russ, let him know her suspicions, or maybe she could follow the trail and find out what happened to the couple, because if they weren't her parents it would be one hell of a coincidence, not to mention the person who had attacked them in the woods… it was all too big of a fluke for all these events to have some relation to one another.

"I need to try," she defended her reasoning, she hoped he didn't ask 'try what' and perhaps she'd said that out loud because Jeffrey said nothing more for a few minutes before he got to his feet, chair scraping on the floorboards as he gathered the plates and glasses together, heading off into the crook of a room he referred to as his kitchen.

"We need to get out of here," Seeley whispered sharply as soon as Jeffrey was out of earshot.

"Why?"

"Because sooner or later he's going to call the police and we'll be taken straight back home,"

She nearly pointed out that she didn't _have _a home but wisely came to the conclusion it wasn't worth the argument it would cause if she said it so she remained quiet.

"Look, he's a nice guy but we have to _leave_," he glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the 'kitchen' "is your stuff together?"

Temperance nodded.

"Okay," Seeley slipped from his seat and gestured for Temperance to follow, she picked up her bag as Seeley slung his over his shoulder and gently slid the bolt from the door, opening the creaking panel with as much finesse as possible, it made no noise and for that they were both grateful.

"Why can't we just tell him?"

Seeley didn't justify her question with an answer but couldn't help from exclaiming in an outraged whisper "what're you doing?" as she pulled a few notes from her pocket and dropped them on the table.

"He helped us," she replied hotly "we can't just leave without giving him something in return.

"I get the feeling he's not the kind of guy who pops down the store on a Saturday morning to get the groceries, now _come on_!" the earnest in his voice had Temperance hurrying to follow.

Seeley ushered her out of the door and visibly grimaced as the door thudded back into it's frame once they were both outside, he gestured down the path and she started, stumbling only once when twigs cracked and leaves rustled beneath their feet.

"Oi!"

They both jumped when they heard Jeffrey's gruff voice exclaim his surprise.

"Move!" Seeley grabbed hold of Temperance's bag and hauled her off the path, pushing through the bracken and underbrush as they moved as quickly as they could off the track; neither had any idea where they were headed but it was a safe bet from the inky black depths in front of them they were heading deeper into the forest.

Temperance yelped as her ankle twisted and she was sent careening down another embankment, the feeling of vague déjà vu washed over her before she rationalised that this wasn't the same bank as before and she managed to seize hold of a thick tree root as the embankment turned into a steep drop.

"Bones!" Seeley cried out, turning back and sliding down the bank with much more control than she had managed to muster.

The sound of something hitting rocks had Temperance turning her head to catch a glance of what was at the bottom of the precipice she was currently dangling over. She just caught sight of a metallic red object smashing into another rock before landing in the gurgling brook below; it didn't take a genius to figure out that her cell phone was now in multiple pieces, not to mention lost for good.

"Bones," Seeley hissed and she looked around, he was now lying on his stomach amongst the under growth, his arm straining as he reached for her "take my hand,"

The drop wasn't too severe but it was high enough that knew she would be lucky to survive the fall if she did let go, her feet were struggling to find purchase on the face of the crag she was pressed against. In a burst of trust she wasn't sure where came from she caught his fingers and nearly slipped when the moss and soil that had stuck to her palm when she had caught the tree root acted as a kind of lubricant and made it nigh on impossible to get a secure hold. Nevertheless Seeley caught her sleeve and somehow they managed to get her back onto the bank again.

"You okay?" he asked a little breathlessly from the exertion the 'rescue' had taken.

She nodded "thanks," she replied casually.

"What're you doing?" he murmured as she leant back over the edge, he through his hand across her chest to pull her back "are you insane?"

"My phone," she answered somewhat dejectedly.

"Shit," Seeley cursed, then "we need to go home,"

Temperance's eyes narrowed and she stood up "no," and with that she started climbing the bank again.

Seeley groaned, following her "are you insane? We've got no cell phone, barely any money, the cops are gonna be after us – if those remains did belong to your parents the FBI will tell us, there's no need for us to go running across town looking for something we're never gonna find,"

"Who said anything about town?" she said, heaving herself back onto even ground, and brushing herself off.

His eyes widened as he followed her example "do you have some sort of secret money stash I don't know about or something Bones? After what you left that Neanderthal we'll be lucky to get to Crossmore Avenue, never mind to the next city,"

"No one said you had to come," she snapped "you're welcome to go back to your parents if you want,"

The way she said 'your parents' was both a little patronizing and it made him feel guilty because he had that option and she didn't. She couldn't go to her parents because chances were they were dead and if they weren't they would be monumentally difficult to find.

"I go where you go Bones," he found himself sighing and it gave him an absurd burst of joy in his chest when she smiled a little at him "where too next?"

"I need a payphone," she said, labouring down the path with heavy feet.

"Who're you gonna call?" and well, if _Ghostbusters _came to his mind then, it _wasn't_ his fault.

"My brother,"

* * *

His legs ached and his chest was burning by the time they emerged from the thicket of trees and the fact they had, had to both scale a fence and get off the Jones' land without being shot for trespassing did not help the pain that was gradually seeping through every vertebrae in his back.

"What change have you got?" Temperance asked as they stood outside the payphone, she was already digging through her pockets for her money and produced a few coins that amounted in total to about two dollars.

It didn't take much effort to sound put upon as he reached into his own pocket and produced an even smaller amount; he raised his eyebrows at her as she helped herself to the money and began slotting it into the machine as she dialled the number.

"Hello…"

"Russ!" the excitement on her face was impossible to miss "it's me, Temperance-"

"… You've reached Russ Brennan. I can't get to the phone right now so leave me a message and I'll get back to you,"

"Russ, it's Temperance, I'm in Philadelphia… that's not the point… some human remains have been found and…" she slotted more money in as the little display started flashing at her "they could be mom and dad, give me a call when you get this message on-" she covered the mouth piece "Booth, what's your number?"

"What's the point, the battery's dead?"

"We'll get a new phone and put your SIM in it – what's the number?"

"With what?" he exclaimed "thirty-four dollars and a stick of gum isn't gonna get us a new phone!"

"Booth!"

He sighed, pausing to think a moment , taking the handset from her and reciting the number into the mouth piece as Temperance slid the last of the change into the slot.

"That's my friend's cell phone number, call me when you get this message…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say next and she watched the display flicker down to 'three cents remaining', she quickly gabbled "bye," into the set before replacing it on the hook.

"What now?" Seeley said after a moment of silence.

Temperance just looked at him; because she had about as much idea as he did.

_Author's Notes: As short – if not shorter – than last time, sorry but I hope this is okay :P please review if you liked it, don't if you didn't! :)_


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